Corey Bohil
Lawrence Technological University, MI·Psychology
Watching the brain at work usually means lying still inside a large scanner, which rules out studying people as they drive, shop or talk with each other. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) offers another option.
- Fields
Psychology
Neuroscience
Computer Science
- Topics
functional near-infrared spectroscopy
fNIRS
NIRSport2
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Aug 2027
What they work on
- Identify brain activity markers of uncertainty with fNIRS, which tracks blood oxygen in the cortex, to improve understanding of decision making.
- Apply machine learning and deep neural networks to fNIRS data to detect high cognitive workload, changing emotional states for brain-computer interfaces, and driver engagement.
- Use hyperscanning, simultaneous fNIRS recording of two people, to study neural synchrony during competitive social interactions.
- Combine tDCS brain stimulation with fNIRS to test how motor and visual cortex regions contribute to language processing.
- Examine prefrontal cortex activity as people respond to advertising, brand novelty and information framing when making purchasing decisions.
More about the research
It shines harmless near-infrared light through the scalp to measure changes in oxygen-rich and oxygen-poor blood in the brain's outer layer, the cortex, which reflect which regions are active during a task. Because it is portable and non-invasive, fNIRS can be used in more natural settings.
Why it matters
Portable brain imaging could help detect overload or disengagement in settings like driving, improve brain-computer interfaces that respond to emotional states, and clarify how people make decisions under uncertainty or in response to advertising. The work may also inform efforts to support grit and achievement in education.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Paul Regier
University of Pennsylvania, PA·Neuroscience·Early-career
Compare executive-function scores and prefrontal cortex activity, measured with fNIRS (light-based brain imaging), between people with opioid use disorder and healthy controls.
Roxana Burciu
University of Delaware, DE·Neuroscience
Test whether people with Parkinson's disease show altered brain activity during isometric two-handed force tasks compared with healthy older adults, using functional MRI.
Keith Vogt
University of Pittsburgh, PA·Neuroscience
Test whether touching different ear points with von Frey filaments activates distinct regions of the somatosensory and prefrontal cortex in pain-free volunteers, measured with fNIRS, a light-based brain imaging method.
The school
Lawrence Technological University: 3 labs on PI Pages, $8M a year on research.
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