Damien Fair

Damien Fair at Flux Congress

Damien Fair is a prominent American neuroscientist and psychologist known for his pioneering work in the field of functional connectivity and neuroimaging. He is a professor at the University of Minnesota and co-director of the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain.

Early Life and Education

Damien Fair was born in Winona, Minnesota. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of San Francisco, where he earned a degree in psychology. He then pursued a master's degree in medical science at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Fair earned his Ph.D. in neuroscience from the Washington University in St. Louis.

Career

Fair's research primarily focuses on understanding the developing brain and the mechanisms underlying various neurodevelopmental disorders. He has made significant contributions to the study of functional connectivity using resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI). His work has provided insights into the brain's functional architecture and how it changes across the lifespan.

Research Contributions

One of Fair's notable contributions is his work on the default mode network (DMN), a network of brain regions that show higher activity during rest than during task-focused activities. His research has helped elucidate the role of the DMN in various cognitive functions and its alterations in conditions such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Fair has also been involved in large-scale collaborative projects, such as the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study (ABCD Study), which aims to understand the factors that influence brain development and cognitive function in children and adolescents.

Awards and Honors

Damien Fair has received numerous awards for his contributions to neuroscience, including the MacArthur Fellowship in 2020. He has also been recognized by the Society for Neuroscience and the American Psychological Association for his innovative research.

Personal Life

Fair is married to Rahel Nardos, a urogynecologist and global health advocate. They have two children and reside in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Selected Publications

• Fair, D. A., et al. (2007). "Functional brain networks develop from a 'local to distributed' organization." PLoS Biology.
• Fair, D. A., et al. (2008). "The maturing architecture of the brain's default network." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
• Fair, D. A., et al. (2012). "Functional brain networks: Development, aging, and ADHD." Current Opinion in Pediatrics.

See Also

• Neuroscience
• Functional connectivity
• Resting-state fMRI
• Default mode network
• Autism spectrum disorder
• Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder