Obituary – Jonathan Smallwood
On the 24th of October, 2025, we lost our former colleague, collaborator, and friend, Jonathan “Jonny” Smallwood, who passed away peacefully at the age of 50, in the presence of his devoted wife and family, following a courageous battle with cancer.
Born on October 13th 1975, Jonny earned his PhD in Psychology from the University of Strathclyde, in Glasgow, UK. He became a renowned neuroscientist and professor at the Department of Psychology at Queens University in Ontario, Canada.
Jonny was a cognitive neuroscientist best known for his pioneering research into the science of mind wandering. He devoted his career to investigating the processes by which the brain self-generates thought, independent of perception, such as during mind wandering and daydreaming. He explored the temporal dimension of our inner lives, revealing the underlying mechanisms of attention, memory, and spontaneous thought. His work established mind wandering as a legitimate and important subject of psychological and neuroscientific study, connecting it to creativity, problem-solving, and mental health.
Collaborating widely across institutions and disciplines, Jonny has published extensively, with over 250 papers and 50000 citations in his short career. Since 2019 he has been recognised as one of the world's most highly cited scientists. His work combined behavioural methods with neuroimaging techniques to uncover how brain networks, especially the default mode network, support internally generated thought. He pioneered state-of-the-art brain analysis techniques as well as novel methods for assessing both patterns of ongoing thought and task driven behaviour. More recently, Jonny was focused on the relationship between cortical structure, ongoing thought and experience, and their association with health and well-being.
Many of us knew Jonny from his time here at the Institute as a Senior Researcher in the Department of Social Neuroscience between 2011 and 2013. It was here that he began to apply brain imaging to mind wandering and the neuroscience of spontaneous thought, also being involved with the Resource Project on meditation training.
Beyond his research, Jonny was deeply committed to science and inspired many students. He was known for his warmth, generosity, and curiosity. He leaves behind a legacy of knowledge and inspiration. A celebration of Jonny’s life was held on the 9th of November 2025, with his family, friends, and colleagues.
The family is welcoming online donations to cancer research in Jonny’s name (https://fundraise.cancerresearchuk.org/page/jonny-smallwood).
