Philip David Zelazo, PhD, is the Nancy M. and John E. Lindahl Professor at the Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota. His research has helped shape current scientific understanding of executive function and its development. That includes the key roles of reflection, rule use, hierarchical complexity, mindfulness, and emotion.
This work has resulted in the design of widely used standardized measures of executive functioning skills. It has also led to the creation of effective interventions for promoting the healthy development of executive functioning skills in early childhood. Zelazo’s research has been honored by numerous awards, including a Boyd McCandless Young Scientist Award from the American Psychological Association, and a Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 Award.
Zelazo is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and of the American Psychological Society; a senior fellow of the Mind and Life Institute; and a scientific advisor for Vroom. He serves on numerous editorial boards, is editor of the two-volume Oxford Handbook of Developmental Psychology (2013), and is the lead developer of the executive function measures for the NIH Toolbox.