The Neuroscience of Optimal Performance
Professor, University of Notre Dame | Kavli Fellow, National Academy of Sciences | Co-Founder, The Brain-Based Leader™
Sleep, stress, and emotion shape every decision your leaders make. Jessica Payne, PhD translates 20+ years of neuroscience research into practical strategies for organizational performance.
Jessica Payne, PhD is a cognitive neuroscientist and Professor of Psychology at the University of Notre Dame, where she directs the Sleep, Stress, and Memory Lab. A Harvard-trained researcher and Kavli Fellow with the National Academy of Sciences, she has spent two decades studying how sleep, stress, and emotion shape cognition, decision-making, and performance.
Jess co-founded The Brain-Based Leader™ to bring this science to organizations at scale, through live keynotes, workshops, and enterprise e-learning built on her research.
The Neuroscience Behind Better Leadership
Sleep and Cognitive Performance
Sleep architecture directly shapes the neural systems leaders rely on for judgment, memory consolidation, and creative problem-solving. Jess's research demonstrates how even modest sleep disruption degrades the executive functions that drive decision quality, and what organizations can do about it.
Stress Regulation and Resilience
Chronic stress measurably impairs prefrontal cortex function, the neural basis of planning, flexibility, and impulse control. Jess translates the neuroscience of stress physiology into practical strategies for sustained performance and faster recovery under pressure.
Positive Emotion, Innovation, and Insight
Positive mood states directly benefit the brain regions responsible for processing speed, data synthesis, and flexible thinking. Jess's research shows how positive emotion enhances innovation, insightful problem-solving, and creative decision-making, giving leaders practical tools to unlock higher-quality thinking when it matters most.
Scaling the Science
Jess co-founded The Brain-Based Leader™ with Christine Payne, PhD to help organizations move beyond a single keynote. Through enterprise e-learning, live workshops, and consulting, The Brain-Based Leader gives organizations a structured way to build the neurobiological foundation their leaders need for sustained performance.
The flagship Neuroscience of Optimal Performance course is available as a SCORM-compatible e-learning program that deploys through your existing LMS, reaching 100 to 10,000+ learners.
Trusted by Leadership Audiences Across Industries
Jess has delivered keynotes and workshops to leadership audiences at organizations spanning healthcare, financial services, technology, manufacturing, and higher education.
Healthcare
Northwell Health · Keck Medicine of USC · OhioHealth · Intermountain Health · Humana · Jefferson Health · Astellas Pharma
Technology & Entertainment
Genentech · Blizzard Entertainment · IMAX Corporation · Fluke Corporation
Financial Services
Morgan Stanley · Goldman Sachs · D. E. Shaw · AQR Capital Management · Tiger 21 · Fiera Capital
Education & Leadership
Center for Creative Leadership · NeuroLeadership Institute · Vail Symposium · One Day University
On Stage
Jess has delivered keynotes and workshops to leadership audiences at Morgan Stanley, Northwell Health, Keck Medicine of USC, the Center for Creative Leadership, and dozens more.
Your keynote was engaging and so insightful. Your content truly resonated with our audience, and I especially appreciated the real, tangible takeaways.
— Event organizer, OhioHealth
