The Spence Lecture Series honors the legacy of Kenneth W. Spence, prominent learning theorist and chair of the department from 1942-1964. This series, which is supported by the Iowa Neuroscience Institute, brings leaders in the field of behavioral neuroscience to our campus each year.

Spence Lecturers

  • Elizabeth Buffalo, PhD

    2023/2024

    University of Washington
    "Towards a unified view of the primate hippocampus"

  • A. David Redish, PhD

    2022/2023

    University of Minnesota

    “The neurophysiology of precommitment to avoid sunk costs: Evidence from mice, rats, and humans”

  • Kent Berridge, PhD

    2018/2019

    University of Michigan

    “Liking and wanting in the brain”