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Terrence Deacon, Anthro. Dept. Chair, Professor
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Terrence Deacon's research combines human evolutionary biology and neuroscience, with the aim of investigating the evolution of human cognition. It extends from laboratory-based cellular-molecular neurobiology to the study of semiotic processes underlying animal and human communication, especially language. His theoretical interests include the study of evolution-like processes at many levels, including their role in embryonic development, neural signal processing, language change, and social processes, and focusing especially on how these different processes interact and depend on each other. In addition, he has a long-standing interest in developing a scientific semiotics that could contribute to both linguistic theory and cognitive neuroscience, fueled by a career-long interest in the ideas of the American philosopher, Charles Sanders Peirce.
