Professor, MRI & Molecular Neuroscience of Trauma

Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

Additional Information

Dr. Canli is a trained science communicator, and Professor of Integrative Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology at Stony Brook University. He is an expert in human brain imaging, the molecular-genetic basis of neural function and behavior (DNA, gene expression, epigenetics, gene-by-environment interactions) , trauma-related neuroscience, and neuroethics. He has approximately three decades of experience with MRI-based research and since 2008 is the Founder/Director of Stony Brook's SCAN (Social, Cognitive, and Affective Neuroscience) Center. Dr. Canli assists attorneys in evaluating the scientific reliability of neuroscience, brain imaging, biomarker, trauma, and chemical-exposure evidence. His work is relevant to matters involving toxic exposure, psychological injury, PTSD, neurobiological harm, research ethics, and scientific causation. Dr. Canli earned his Ph.D. in Psychology/Neuroscience from Yale University and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University. He has extensive experience designing, conducting, interpreting, and reviewing human neuroscience studies, including MRI research, behavioral neuroscience, molecular and gene-environment studies, and research involving stress, emotion, cognition, trauma, and psychiatric risk. Dr. Canli holds additional qualifications in molecular biology (Smith College), refugee trauma (Harvard Medical School), atrocity prevention (SUNY Binghamton), and neuroethics (Oxford University). He serves on his university's IRB, is a member of the U.N. team of the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI), works on biomarker evidence on behalf of war crimes survivors of neurochemical weapons, and serves pro bono as Chief Scientist of CIMRO, a medical-response NGO working in war zones. Dr. Canli may be retained as a consulting or testifying expert in matters involving the interpretation of neuroscience evidence, brain imaging, neurobiological injury, stress- and trauma-related mechanisms, toxic or chemical exposure effects on the nervous system, research methodology, biomarker evidence, and the ethical use of neuroscience in legal, medical, and policy contexts. Dr. Canli’s expertise may be relevant to civil, criminal, administrative, and regulatory matters involving: Neuroscience and brain-behavior relationships MRI/fMRI brain imaging interpretation and methodology Affective, cognitive, and social neuroscience Stress, trauma, PTSD, and neurobiological mechanisms of psychological injury Chemical and neurotoxic exposure effects on the brain and behavior Organophosphate/sarin-related neurobiological injury frameworks Biomarkers, gene expression, and epigenetics related to behavior Scientific causation in complex brain-behavior claims Evaluation of published neuroscience literature Research design, statistical interpretation, and methodological validity Human subjects research, informed consent, and IRB issues Neuroethics and responsible use of neuroscience evidence Expert review of opposing neuroscience, psychology, or biomarker testimony Litigation-Relevant Strengths Dr. Canli brings a distinctive combination of expertise in human neuroscience, brain imaging, molecular mechanisms, trauma, and neuroethics. His background is particularly relevant in cases where parties seek to understand whether scientific evidence supports claims about brain injury, psychological trauma, neurotoxic exposure, stress-related harm, or biological markers of injury. He can assist attorneys by: reviewing scientific records; evaluating the quality and limitations of neuroscience evidence; assessing whether brain imaging or biomarker claims are scientifically supported; explaining complex neuroscience to courts, juries, mediators, and attorneys; identifying overstatements or unsupported inferences in expert reports; preparing expert reports and rebuttal reports; providing deposition or trial testimony; consulting on research ethics, informed consent, and human-subjects protections.