Hi, I'm Moataz Assem, a Cognitive Neuroscientist at the University of Cambridge. I am fascinated by how animals, including us humans, figure out tricky problems. That's why I look at the brain when people are thinking hard. And because I care a lot about anatomy, I use precise imaging techniques to study the brain. I am also passionate about getting young people excited about brain science, which is why I help with the International Neuroscience Olympiads (Brain Bee) for high school students.

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This is a brain circuit for intelligence

This is a flattened brain hemisphere, similar to how we sometimes view the earth on a flat map. In my recent work, using refined functional MRI techniques and in collaboration with the Human Connectome Project, I identified these nine distinct yellowish/reddish patches, reminiscent of islands in a vast cortical lake. These patches play a critical role in human intelligence abilities. A significant part of my research delves into understanding how this specific cortical circuitry interacts with other brain regions and how it evolved.