Dr. Joy Hirsch

Biography

Joy Hirsch is a professor at the Yale School of Medicine, specializing in Psychiatry, Comparative Medicine, and Neuroscience. Her overarching research goal is to bridge the knowledge gap in understanding the fundamental neural mechanisms that underlie interactive social behaviors. She has pioneered multi-modal neuroimaging technologies, particularly near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), as tools to study real-time social interactions through live dialogue. Her research explores a range of neural systems, evidencing that social interactions involve processes similar to those engaged during solo tasks. The implications of her study extend to various neurological, developmental, and psychiatric disorders, aiming to innovate therapeutic methodologies. With an established Brain Function Laboratory at Yale, she investigates brain-to-brain interactions using coherent signals gathered from multiple individuals. Her work emphasizes the importance of understanding how dynamic coalitions of neural operations facilitate interpersonal communication and social behavior.

Research Interests

Experience

Awards