Stephen Louis Macknik is a prominent American neuroscientist and science writer, best known for his pioneering research in perceptual and cognitive neuroscience. Born on August 9, 1968, in Dayton, Ohio, Macknik grew up in Maui, Hawaii. He completed a triple major in Psychobiology, Biology, and Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, in 1991 and earned his PhD in Neurobiology at Harvard University in 1996 under Professor Margaret Livingstone. He further trained as a postdoctoral fellow with Nobel Laureate David Hubel at Harvard Medical School from 1996 to 2001.
Professionally, Macknik has held research and faculty positions at prestigious institutions. He served as a laboratory director and lecturer at University College London starting in 2001. In 2004, he became an assistant and later associate professor at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona, where he directed the Laboratory of Behavioral Neurophysiology. Since 2014, he has been a professor of ophthalmology, neurology, physiology, and pharmacology at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York, where he directs the Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience.
Macknik’s research primarily explores visual illusions, attentional misdirection in stage magic, consciousness, and cerebral blood flow. His scientific approach integrates neurophysiology, human psychophysics, and brain imaging to understand the mechanisms behind perception and cognition. He is particularly renowned for studying the neural basis of illusions and how the brain processes attention and awareness.
In addition to his scientific scholarship, Macknik is widely recognized for his science communication efforts. He co-created public science outreach initiatives such as The Best Illusion of the Year Contest and Neuromagic. He has authored numerous popular science articles and a column titled “Illusions” for Scientific American Mind, often co-written with his frequent collaborator and spouse, Dr. Susana Martinez-Conde.
Macknik has received various awards, including the Empire Innovator Award from New York State and the Research Initiative Award from the American Epilepsy Society. His work has been featured extensively in major media outlets including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and documentary programs on channels like Discovery and PBS. His contributions bridge rigorous neuroscience and accessible public education, making him a leading figure in both fields.
His involvement in the lawsuit against Apple alongside Professor Martinez-Conde draws attention to his reputation as both a pioneering neuroscientist and an advocate for protecting intellectual property used without permission in AI development.
