Tess S. Fotidzis, Ph.D.

Dr. Tess Fotidzis is a cognitive neuroscientist and literacy expert whose work bridges education, neuroscience, and language across the lifespan. Her research investigates how the brain acquires, processes, and constructs meaning from language—spanning oral language, reading, writing, and the neural bases of reading disabilities. She employs multimodal methods, including EEG, fMRI, and computational modeling, to study the dynamic organization of brain networks during naturalistic language comprehension, and is currently investigating how noninvasive brain stimulation may enhance reading and learning outcomes.

Before transitioning into research, Dr. Fotidzis spent 15 years as an educator, serving as a K–5 classroom teacher, Reading Specialist, Literacy Coach, and interventionist, as well as teaching visual art in elementary schools and English Language Arts at the middle school level. This breadth of experience grounds her scientific perspective in lived classroom realities and informs her translational interest in bridging neuroscience, literacy, and education.

She brings an interdisciplinary perspective shaped not only by her academic training in cognitive neuroscience and neurolinguistics, but also by her roles as a single mother, passionate animal advocate, and woodworker. Whether designing experiments, mentoring students and teachers, or building hands-on tools, she is committed to integrating intellectual rigor with creativity, care, and practical application.

When she is not in the lab, you can find Dr. Fotidzis meditating under a tree, walking barefoot in the forest collecting sticks with her daughter, or working in her shed alongside the raccoons and possums who visit while she works on woodworking projects. She also enjoys unwinding with novels, comic books, video games, and anime. Her favorite moments, however, are those spent with her beautiful daughter and their three beloved cats.

Recent Publications