How Does Sara Lazar PhD Work?

Sara Lazar PhD is like a super detective who figures out how our brains work by watching them do their job.

Sara Lazar PhD uses special pictures of people’s brains, kind of like X-rays, but for the brain. These pictures show her which parts are working hard when someone thinks, feels, or learns something new.

She’s especially interested in how we can train our brains to get better at things, just like you practice riding your bike to get faster and smoother.

Sara uses a machine called an MRI, it’s like a giant donut that takes pictures of the brain while people are inside it. Sometimes she asks people to do simple tasks, like counting backward or thinking about happy memories, while the machine takes pictures.

By comparing these pictures with how people feel and think, Sara can tell which parts of the brain are involved in different activities, kind of like solving a puzzle piece by piece!

She’s found that when we practice things like meditation or learning new skills, our brains get stronger, just like muscles get stronger when you work out.