Research Scientist

Dr. Brady DeCouto is a Research Scientist who joined IHMC as a postdoctoral fellow in June 2022. He earned his Ph.D. in kinesiology with an emphasis on cognitive motor neuroscience from the University of Utah, and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in kinesiology from Jacksonville University.

His research interests concern the development of expert performance, which entails perceptual-cognitive skills, motor skills, and psychosocial influences. As a Ph.D. student, DeCouto worked with U.S. Ski and Snowboard, assuming responsibility for analyzing data and disseminating research on developmental, sociological, and psychosocial factors contributing to performance and mental health in youth alpine ski racers. His dissertation elucidated visual processing mechanisms of skilled soccer and volleyball athletes using EEG measures and manipulating visual displays. He has also conducted research on the impact of anxiety on visual behavior and postural control in expert performers.

At IHMC, DeCouto applies his expertise in human performance to enhance how individuals learn and utilize technologies that are of growing importance to clinical, industrial, and military domains. He has collaborated with researchers of robotics, exoskeletons, automation technologies, and artificial intelligence with the goal of better understanding how the constraints and characteristics of human cognitive processes contribute to effective human-machine teaming. He has also pursued research on interventions that mitigate operator stress.

When not at work, Brady enjoys playing volleyball, piano and guitar, and literally any type of game.