The professor of psychological and brain sciences was honored for his work on aging, attention, and emotion.
Derek Isaacowitz, professor of psychological and brain sciences, has been named the 2025 recipient of the Mid-Career Trajectory in Affective Science Award. He will receive the honor at the Society for Affective Science’s annual conference in Portland, Oregon, in March.
Affective science is the study of emotions, including emotional expression and the perception of emotions in others. The national award honors researchers who have achieved “outstanding scientific impact” in the field by the midpoint of their careers. Researchers who obtained their PhDs or other terminal degrees between 10 and 25 years ago are eligible.
Isaacowitz, who joined the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences in August 2024, uses multiple approaches to study the effects of aging on attention and emotion. He is the principal investigator of the Lifespan Lab, a team that investigates how emotional processes change across the adult lifespan with the goal of developing psychological and behavioral interventions to promote greater well-being for older adults.
“By studying how the mind and the body interact in the lab, out in the world, and across the lifespan, Derek has pushed the envelope of measuring and explaining how people think and feel,” said Jeffrey Zacks, the Edgar James Swift Professor in Arts & Sciences and chair of the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences.
“I especially appreciate this award because I came to the field of affective science from the study of adult development and aging,” Isaacowitz said. “I am really thrilled that affective scientists are recognizing the potential value of research on aging.”
