René Weber is Professor in the Department of Communication and lead researcher at UCSB’s Media Neuroscience Lab. His research focuses on cognitive responses to mass communication and new technology media messages, including video games. He develops and applies both traditional social scientific and neuroscientific methodology (fMRI) to test media related theories. His research has been published in major communication and neuroscience journals and in three authored books. He is an Executive Council member of UCSB’s SAGE Center for the Study of the Mind, and one of five neuromarketing experts accredited by the Advertising Research Foundation.