Judith Fan is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, with courtesy appointments in Education and Computer Science. She directs the Cognitive Tools Lab, where her research explores how humans use physical representations — like sketches, prototypes, and constructed objects — to think, learn, and solve complex problems.
At the core of Fan’s work is the idea that the tools we use to externalise thought shape what we can imagine and create. Her lab combines approaches from cognitive science, computational neuroscience, and artificial intelligence to uncover the principles behind problem-solving, communication, and innovation. By studying how people build, manipulate, and interact with objects, Judith Fan illuminates the strategies that allow humans to reason, collaborate, and innovate effectively.
A striking example of her research involves online experiments in which participants reconstruct block towers. By analysing the mistakes people make and how they improve over time, Fan’s team reveals how humans reverse-engineer objects and uncover abstract rules — from how a dish is prepared to how a song is composed. Other projects explore drawing and prototyping, showing how these practices accelerate learning, enhance communication, and support collaboration. Judith Fan’s work continues a long tradition of cognitive breakthroughs: just as the Cartesian coordinate system made abstract math visible and helped drive inventions that took humans to the moon, her research demonstrates how today’s “thinking tools” can expand human creativity and problem-solving.
The implications of Fan’s research extend far beyond the lab. By understanding how humans externalise thought, her work informs the design of smarter AI systems, supports innovative learning tools in education, and guides businesses in improving collaboration and creativity. Her research is supported by the National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, Stanford Human-Centered AI Institute, Adobe Research, and Autodesk Research, reflecting both its rigour and real-world impact.