Fumiko Hoeft, MD, PhD
Professor
Psychiatry
School of Medicine

415-476-9861

Fumiko Hoeft MD PhD is Professor of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry and Weill Institute for Neurosciences and directs the UCSF Hoeft Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory (brainLENS.org). Other academic positions include: Deputy Director of UCSF Dyslexia Center (dyslexia,ucsf.edu), and Executive Director of UC Office of the President's Multicampus Precision Learning Center (PrecL.org).

Show full bio (540 words) Hide full bio

She is a psychiatrist, neurophysiologist, as well as a developmental cognitive and systems neuroscientist. Hoeft was trained clinically at Keio University School of Medicine (Tokyo, Japan) and in research at Harvard, UCLA, Caltech and Stanford. Prior to joining UCSF in 2012, Hoeft was at Stanford for 8 years where she was Associate Director for the Division (then Center) for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research (Director: Allan Reiss MD).

Her theoretical interests are in the neurobiological mechanisms underlying brain maturational processes, as well as acquisition of skills such as literacy in typical and atypical populations (e.g. dyslexia). Her research uses neuroimaging tools at various time-scales and levels (e.g. TMS/tDCS, fNIRS, fMRI, aMRI, DWI and MEG/EEG), analytical approaches (e.g. machine learning, graph theory), and designs (e.g. intergenerational neuroimaging, imaging genetics, human natural cross-fostering design). She is interested in identifying how biology (genes) and environment influence neurodevelopment.

Based on the strong needs of the community, her team also specializes in R&D of cognitive science-based tools that can be deployed in educational practice to maximize personalized learning. Examples include: (1) AppRISE (Application for Readiness In Schools & learning Evaluation), which is is a gamified universal screener app that characterizes strengths and weaknesses for personalized learning, dyslexia-risk and school-readiness. The first set of 13 modules (assessing cognition and literacy) is ideally suited for young children aged 4-6, those who lack English proficiency, or those at-risk for learning disabilities (e.g. dyslexia). (2) Reading Emotion & Anxiety in Learning (project REAL). We developed a quantitative measure of reading anxiety and are in the process of validating it. (3) Socio-Emotional Toolkit. In partnership with Eye to Eye and funded by the Oak Foundation, we developed an online questionnaire that will provide personalized SEL report to families, students and teachers as well as evidence-based resources. Ideally suited for ages 9-18.

She has received numerous federal and private foundation grants, published over 120 articles, and delivered over 150 talks including remarks at the White House. Hoeft currently serves on over a dozen boards and committees.

Honors include the 2014 Norman Geschwind Memorial Lectureship from the International Dyslexia Association, 2015 Transforming Education through Neuroscience Award from Learning & the Brain Foundation, and 2017 Multicampus Research Program Award from the University of CA Office of the President. Her work has been widely covered in media such as The New York Times, NPR, CNN, the New Yorker, and Scientific American.

--------------

Other academic positions include: Research Scientist at Haskins Laboratories affiliated with Yale and U Conn; Adj Faculty of Neuropsychiatry at Keio Univ Sch of Med (Japan). Hoeft also plays a significant role as an advisory or board member at many organizations including, the Bay Area Discovery Museum’s Center for Childhood Creativity (BADM’s CCC), International Dyslexia Association (IDA), National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD), and a number of schools and organizations. She serves as an editorial board member for Psychological science, New directions for child and adolescent development, Mind brain and education, AERA Open

Current funding includes: As Principal Investigator (PI) - 2 NIH R01s, 1 Univ CA Office of the President's Award and 1 foundation grant (Oak Foundation); As Co-PI - 1 NSF grant; As Subcontract PI - 2 NIH R01s; As Mentor - 2 BBRF Young Investigator Awards

Awards

Show all (19) Hide

  • Contribution Award, IDA Northern CA Branch, 2018
  • Translation Award, Int’l Mind Brain & Education Society (IMBES), 2018
  • Science Educator Award, Society for Neuroscience (SFN), 2018
  • Multicampus Research Programs and Initiatives (MRPI) Award, Univ CA Office of the President (UCOP), 2017
  • Robert J. Schwartz Memorial Lectureship, Windward School, 2016
  • Transforming Education through Neuroscience Award, Learning & the Brain Foundation, 2015
  • UNITWIN Network on Global Literacy, UNESCO, 2015
  • OSTP Neuroscience and Learning Workshop, White House, 2015
  • Norman Geschwind Memorial Lectureship, International Dyslexia Association, 2014
  • Young Investigator Award, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, 2008
  • Spectrum Child Health & Clinical and Translational Science Award, Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, 2008
  • K23 Career Award, NICHD, 2008
  • Postdoctoral Mentor Award (Honorary Mention), Stanford University, 2008
  • Spectrum Child Health & Clinical and Translational Science Award, Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health, 2007
  • Tom Slick Research Award in Consciousness, Mind Science Foundation, 2005
  • XII World Congress of Psychiatry Award for Outstanding Contribution, World Psychiatric Association, 2002
  • Young Investigator Award, Japan North America Medical Exchange Foundation (JANAMEF), 1998
  • Young Investigator Award, The Cell Science Research Foundation, 1998
  • Young Investigator Award, Yoshida Foundation for Science and Technology, 1998

Education & Training

Show all (4) Hide

  • Postdoc Psychology Stanford U - Developmental Cog Neurosci 2005
  • Fellowship Biology Caltech - Computation & Neural Systems 2003
  • MD PhD Neuropsychiatry Keio U (Tokyo) - Medicine & Neurophysiology 2003
  • Predoc Neurology Harvard U - Neurophysiology 2000

Interests

Show all (11) Hide

  • machine learning
  • dyslexia
  • SEL
  • learning
  • cognitive neuroscience
  • language
  • motivation
  • network analyses
  • reading
  • autism
  • multimodal neuroimaging

Websites

Show all (8) Hide

Grants and Projects

Show all (18) Hide

Publications (147)

Top publication keywords:
Williams SyndromeChild DevelopmentBrainLanguageFragile X SyndromeDyslexiaPaternal AgeExecutive FunctionBrain MappingNerve NetNeural PathwaysMagnetic Resonance ImagingPhoneticsAcademic PerformanceReading

Show all (120 more) Hide