Hoisington, Lori Ph.D.

Dr. Lori Hoisington began her professional career in clinical healthcare.  As a Senior MRI Technologist and Instructor, Dr. Hoisington joined a research team that studied functional brain imaging (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging).  To enhance her research and her overall understanding about interpersonal interaction that accompanied brain activity.  Her dissertation topic was Family Paradigms and Human Emotions.

Dr. Hoisington is currently a faculty instructor and advisor for GPIDEA.  She instructs online courses including Brain Development, Evolution and Behavior (ISS), Interpersonal Relationships (HDFS) and Foundations of Youth Development (GPI).  Her specialization is Family Studies with healthcare components and brain development among youth.  Dr. Hoisington has also co-instructed Youth Culture (GPI) and Youth Policy (GPI).

Dr. Hoisington has been the recipient of several awards including the Love of Learning award by Phi Kappa Phi, Jean Davis Schlater Dissertation Fellowship Award, and MSU Graduate School Dissertation Completion Fellowship.  In addition, she is a member of Phi Kappa Phi, National Society of Leadership and Success and Kappa Omicron Nu (KON) Honor Societies.

Her background includes clinical and research MRI with a focus on functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI).  She instructed Cross-Sectional Anatomy for the Department of Radiology MRI Program for many years.  Her specialization within that role was human brain anatomy and function.  During the past three years she initiated a research project aimed toward exploring the relationship between adolescent risk taking and ongoing white matter brain development.

Dr. Hoisington's research interest include Family Paradigm theory and human emotions (dissertation topic), adolescent risk taking and white brain development, application of brain development findings toward management of juvenile offenders serving Life Without Parole, (LWOP), changes in the brain's limbic system that correlate with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) and Alzhemier's Disease (AD) and MRI breast imaging: differentiating between benign vs. malignant tissues (funded and under consideration for multi-site international collaboration).  Dr. Hoisington and colleagues have received multiple grants from MSU to support the patent and commercialization of the MRI Breast cancer protocol.