David Van Essen

David C. Van Essen (born September 14, 1945) is an American neuroscientist specializing in neurobiology and studies the structure, function, development, connectivity and evolution of the cerebral cortex of humans and nonhuman relatives.

[1] After over two decades of teaching at the Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, he currently serves as an Alumni Endowed Professor of Neuroscience and maintains an active laboratory.

[6] Van Essen received his undergraduate degree in chemistry in 1967 from The California Institute of Technology, working on the leech nervous system with John Nichols.

Van Essen is employed at Washington University in St. Louis and manages a lab that examines the structure, function, connectivity, development, and evolution of the cerebral cortex in both humans and primates.

While Van Essen's cortical cartography methods began with manually-generated maps, this area of research has developed into the novel usage of software tools for brain visualization.

[2] Most recently, in collaboration with the HCP, the Van Essen lab has identified many visual areas in the macaque monkey and has characterized a novel parcellation of the human neocortex.

Van Essen's laboratory also collaborates with Terrie Inder, Jeff Neil, Jason Hill, and other affiliates to conduct research on human cortical development.