Susan Rivera, PhD, is a professor of psychology and dean of the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences at the University of Maryland. Prior to this role, she was  a professor and chair of the psychology department at the University of California, Davis, and a faculty member of the UC Davis MIND Institute and the Center for Mind and Brain.   

Dr. Rivera is the editor-in-chief of the journal Human Development and is a current member of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IAAC) under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.  

Her research investigates the interplay between genes, brain function and structure, and environment across the lifespan (from infancy to old age). Using brain imaging (EEG/ERP and functional and structural MRI) and eye-tracking techniques, she investigates research questions about how underlying brain activity and behavior support the development of skills such as attention, visual perception, face processing, and sensory processing.