Brain-computer interface could decode inner speech in real time

Cell Press

Facebook

MessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

A participant is using the inner speech neuroprosthesis. The text above is the cued sentence, and the text below is what's being decoded in real-time as she imagines speaking the sentence. 

view more 

Credit: Emory BrainGate Team

Scientists have pinpointed brain activity related to inner speech—the silent monologue in people’s heads—and successfully decoded it on command with up to 74% accuracy. Publishing August 14 in the Cell Press journal Cell, their findings could help people who are unable to audibly speak communicate more easily using brain-computer interface (BCI) technologies that begin translating inner thoughts when a participant says a password inside their head. 

“This is the first time we’ve managed to understand what brain activity looks like when you just think about speaking,” says lead author Erin Kunz of Stanford University. “For people with severe speech and motor impairments, BCIs capable of decoding inner speech could help them communicate much more easily and more naturally.”  

BCIs have recently emerged as a tool to help people with disabilities. Using sensors implanted in brain regions that control movement, BCI systems can decode movement-related neural signals and translate them into actions, such as moving a prosthetic hand.  

Research has shown that BCIs can even decode attempted speech among people with paralysis. When users physically attempt to speak out loud by engaging the muscles related to making sounds, BCIs can interpret the resulting brain activity and type out what they are attempting to say, even if the speech itself is unintelligible.  

Although BCI-assisted communication is much faster than older technologies, including systems that track users’ eye movements to type out words, attempting to speak can still be tiring and slow for people with limited muscle control. 

The team wondered if BCIs could decode inner speech instead. 

“If you just have to think about speech instead of actually trying to speak, it’s potentially easier and faster for people,” says Benyamin Meschede-Krasa, the paper’s co-first author, of Stanford University.  

The team recorded neural activity from microelectrodes implanted in the motor cortex—a brain region responsible for speaking—of four participants with severe paralysis from either amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or a brainstem stroke. The researchers asked the participants to either attempt to speak or imagine saying a set of words. They found that attempted speech and inner speech activate overlapping regions in the brain and evoke similar patterns of neural activity, but inner speech tends to show a weaker magnitude of activation overall.  

Using the inner speech data, the team trained artificial intelligence models to interpret imagined words. In a proof-of-concept demonstration, the BCI could decode imagined sentences from a vocabulary of up to 125,000 words with an accuracy rate as high as 74%. The BCI was also able to pick up what some inner speech participants were never instructed to say, such as numbers when the participants were asked to tally the pink circles on the screen. 

The team also found that while attempted speech and inner speech produce similar patterns of neural activity in the motor cortex, they were different enough to be reliably distinguished from each other. Senior author Frank Willett of Stanford University says researchers can use this distinction to train BCIs to ignore inner speech altogether.  

For users who may want to use inner speech as a method for faster or easier communication, the team also demonstrated a password-controlled mechanism that would prevent the BCI from decoding inner speech unless temporarily unlocked with a chosen keyword. In their experiment, users could think of the phrase “chitty chitty bang bang” to begin inner-speech decoding. The system recognized the password with more than 98% accuracy. 

While current BCI systems are unable to decode free-form inner speech without making substantial errors, the researchers say more advanced devices with more sensors and better algorithms may be able to do so in the future. 

“The future of BCIs is bright,” Willett says. “This work gives real hope that speech BCIs can one day restore communication that is as fluent, natural, and comfortable as conversational speech.”  

### 

This work was supported by the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Health Affairs, the National Institutes of Health, the Simons Collaboration for the Global Brain, the A.P. Giannini Foundation, Department of Veterans Affairs, the Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Larry and Pamela Garlick, the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the Blavatnik Family Foundation, and the National Science Foundation. 

Cell, Kunz et al., “Inner speech in motor cortex and implications for speech neuroprostheses” https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(25)00681-6

Cell (@CellCellPress), the flagship journal of Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that publishes findings of unusual significance in any area of experimental biology, including but not limited to cell biology, molecular biology, neuroscience, immunology, virology and microbiology, cancer, human genetics, systems biology, signaling, and disease mechanisms and therapeutics. Visit: http://www.cell.com/cell. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact press@cell.com. 

---

Journal

Cell

DOI

10.1016/j.cell.2025.06.015 

Method of Research

Experimental study

Subject of Research

People

Article Title

Inner speech in motor cortex and implications for speech neuroprostheses

Article Publication Date

14-Aug-2025

 

1 in 3 US adults unaware of connection between HPV and cancers

Medical University of South Carolina

Facebook

X
BlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

Kalyani Sonawane, Ph.D., and team examined state-level data to understand public awareness of HPV and its association with cancer. 

view more 

Credit: MUSC Hollings Cancer Center

The human papillomavirus (HPV) can cause six types of cancer. 

It’s responsible for almost all cervical cancer cases. HPV now causes the majority of oropharyngeal (throat) cancers. It can also cause anal, vaginal, vulvar and penile cancers.  

Yet new analysis from researchers at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center shows that most people are unaware of the connection between HPV and all of these cancers.  

That awareness is critical, said lead researcher Kalyani Sonawane, Ph.D., because it informs people’s decisions about whether to have their children vaccinated against HPV.  

“When people make decisions about whether they want to get vaccinated or whether they want to get their child vaccinated, they are doing a risk-versus-benefit assessment. So it's important for them to understand what can happen when someone gets HPV infection,” she said.  

Sonawane and colleagues used data from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), a survey conducted by the National Cancer Institute. They published their findings this week in JAMA Oncology.  

They found that about a third of people, nationally, aren’t aware of either HPV or the HPV vaccine. The lack of awareness tended to be clustered in states in the Midwest and South.  

For example, more than 40% of people in 13 states – including South Carolina – are unaware that there is a vaccine against HPV. 

The vaccine is the first and best defense against HPV-caused cancers. Research from Europe and the U.S., including research at Hollings, is showing a significant reduction in cervical cancer cases in young women.  

The young women of today were children when the vaccine was first introduced and, therefore, the first group to be vaccinated. As they get older and enter the decades of life when cancer is most common, scientists expect to see even greater reductions in HPV cancers.  

Cervical cancer is the bellwether because that type of cancer most commonly shows up when people are in their 30s or 40s. Oropharyngeal cancers, on the other hand, most often are diagnosed when people are in their 50s or 60s, so it will be some time before the first group that was vaccinated reaches this age.  

Sonawane noted that the biggest knowledge gap is in relation to oropharyngeal cancer. Across the nation, 70% of those who have heard about HPV didn’t know it causes oropharyngeal cancer.  

“HPV is linked with six different types of cancers, but cervical cancer seems to be the one that people are most aware of,” she said. That probably goes back to the original introduction of the vaccine in 2006. "It was first approved for girls and heavily marketed toward girls. Even the packaging was pink.” 

The vaccine has since been approved for boys, but rates of vaccination for boys remain lower than for girls.  

“People think, ‘Oh, cervical cancer. I don't need to get my boys vaccinated,’” Sonawane said. “Anecdotally, when we speak with pediatricians, they always tell us that when they ask a parent of a male child about HPV vaccination, the parents always say, ‘Oh, but he's a boy.’” 

The pandemic interrupted many measures of preventive care, including HPV vaccination and screening for cervical, breast and colon cancers. A recent report from the American Cancer Society showed that screening for breast and colon cancers has since rebounded. Cervical cancer screening and HPV vaccination, however, have not.  

“It just worries me how this is going to translate five years, 10 years down the line,” Sonawane said. “We are losing that critical opportunity of being able to vaccinate kids, being able to screen women at the right time and being able to catch these cancers early. Both primary and secondary prevention are suffering.” 

###

About MUSC Hollings Cancer Center  

  MUSC Hollings Cancer Center is South Carolina’s only National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center with the largest academic-based cancer research program in the state. With more than 230 faculty cancer scientists from 20 academic departments, it has an annual research funding portfolio of more than $50 million and sponsors more than 200 clinical trials across the state. Hollings specialists include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and other clinical providers equipped to provide the full range of cancer care from diagnosis to survivorship. Hollings offers state-of-the-art cancer screenings, diagnostics, therapies and surgical techniques within its multidisciplinary clinics. Dedicated to preventing and reducing the cancer burden statewide, the Hollings Office of Community Outreach and Engagement works with community organizations to bring cancer education and prevention information to affected populations throughout the state. For more information, visit  hollingscancercenter.musc.edu 

 

---

Journal

JAMA Oncology

DOI

10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.2638 

Article Title

State-Level Public Awareness of HPV, HPV Vaccine, and Association With Cancer

Article Publication Date

14-Aug-2025

COI Statement

Dr. Graboyes reported personal fees from Merck, grants and nonfinancial support from Stryker, and serving as deputy editor for JAMA Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Dr. Deshmukh reproted personal fees from Value Analytics Labs outside the submitted work. No other disclosures were reported.

State-level public awareness of HPV, HPV vaccine, and association with cancer

JAMA Oncology

About The Study:

 In this cross-sectional study, public awareness about human papillomavirus (HPV), HPV vaccination, and the link between HPV and cancers was overwhelmingly low, particularly in Midwestern and Southern U.S. states. These findings are troubling because these regions have recently seen a marked rise in HPV-associated cancers. Notably, the lack of HPV and HPV vaccine awareness in the Midwest and South is alarming, as a majority of states in these regions have suboptimal HPV vaccination rates.

Corresponding Author: To contact the corresponding author, Kalyani Sonawane, PhD, email sonawane@musc.edu.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.2638)

Editor’s Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

#  #  #

Embed this link to provide your readers free access to the full-text article  

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/10.1001/jamaoncol.2025.2638?guestAccessKey=b2a3ff8f-8e17-4a68-99d2-3ace782b2180&utm_source=for_the_media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_content=tfl&utm_term=081425

---

Journal

JAMA Oncology

Scientists use climate data to map, predict amphibian chytrid disease

New modeling method could hold key to restoring Panamanian frog populations

Smithsonian

BlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

The chytrid fungus disease is responsible for global amphibian population declines, such as the endangered limosa harlequin frog shown above.

view more 

Credit: Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute.

Researchers may have a new tool in the fight to protect neotropical frogs from extinction, thanks to climate data. In a recently published study in the journal Diversity and Distributions, researchers from the Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI) and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) created a high-resolution map of Panama showing how a deadly amphibian disease moved across Panama over a 13-year period. But the data also provides insight into where the disease is the most dangerous and shows regions that may be havens for reintroduced, captive-bred frogs.  

Since its first scientific description in 2000, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), a fungus that causes the deadly amphibian chytrid disease, has devastated amphibian populations in Central and South America. Believed to have originated in Asia, chytrid has since spread to many parts of the world, and the disease is responsible for wiping out nine frog species in Panama alone.   

Like other fungi, chytrid requires a cool, wet environment to thrive. In chytrid-friendly conditions, disease outbreaks can decimate frog populations. But scientists have found that the fungus cannot thrive when the temperature is too high or the air is too dry. While the disease has spread throughout mainland Panama, the team wondered if the climate parameters might create an opportunity to find pockets where chytrid was less likely to kill.  

By pairing satellite data with 13 years’ worth of atmospheric modeling, researchers created an ultra-high-resolution, daily temperature and humidity map for the nation. They paired this with a second dataset of over 4,900 disease samples taken from 314 sites across Panama. The second dataset tracked the amount of fungus present on each frog, known as the fungal load, over 13 years. When overlaid, the two data sets provided a clear picture of when and where the chytrid disease was the most intense. Higher elevations consistently remained more hospitable to the fungus, but rainy seasons brought chytrid-friendly conditions to the lowlands and led to waves of outbreaks.  

“By compiling the hard-earned data from many amphibian researchers, we have been able to draw an unprecedented, detailed picture of the intensity of Bd in Panama through time and space,” said Carrie Lewis, doctoral student at George Mason University’s Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science, who led the study. “My hope is that we can use this detailed information to inform conservation actions in a more refined way.”  

Although chytrid disease has devastated amphibian populations, the presence of the chytrid fungus alone is not a death sentence. Recognizing this, the research team built three models: one showing fungal presence; a second at “medium intensity,” which researchers consider an indicator of a serious infection; and a third at “high intensity,” which researchers associated with significant disease outbreaks. Researchers found that by examining the weather conditions 15 days prior to sampling, they could predict the presence and intensity of the chytrid fungus.   

By mapping out the path and intensity of chytrid, it became clear that the disease thrives in mountainous regions, which tend to remain cooler and more humid than lowland areas. With this knowledge, researchers may be able to identify climatic refuges—areas less suitable for the chytrid disease where frogs may have a fighting chance against the fungus.  

“The ability to identify places where frogs might be able to survive chytrid is critical for two reasons,” said Brian Gratwicke, NZCBI biologist and senior author of the study. “One, it allows us to look for frogs in those areas who might have developed resistance to the fungus. Two, those same areas might be sites where we can return captive-bred frogs into the wild. Both aspects could be significant turning points in the fight against the chytrid disease.”  

Since 2009, the Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project based in Gamboa, Panama, has bred 12 species of frogs, all of which are facing extinction. After years of successful breeding, there are now enough animals to begin rewilding efforts. As researchers work toward reintroduction trials for imperiled Panamanian species, these prediction models will be crucial to determining when and where trials should take place.  

This collaboration between 18 coauthors was partially supported with funding from the National Science Foundation, the German Science Foundation and the Bezos Earth Fund through the Tropical Amphibian Research Initiative.    

Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute (NZCBI)  

NZCBI leads the Smithsonian’s global effort to save species, better understand ecosystems and train future generations of conservationists. Its two campuses are home to more than 2,200 animals, including some of the world’s most critically endangered species. Always free of charge, the Zoo’s 163-acre park in the heart of Washington, D.C., features animals representing 400 species and is a popular destination for children and families. At the Conservation Biology Institute’s 3,200-acre campus in Virginia, breeding and veterinary research on nearly 250 animals representing 20 species provide critical data for the management of animals in human care and valuable insights for conservation of wild populations. NZCBI’s 305 staff and scientists work in Washington, D.C., Virginia and with partners at field sites across the United States and in more than 30 countries to save wildlife, collaborate with communities and conserve native habitats. NZCBI is a long-standing accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. 
Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) 

Headquartered in Panama City, Panama, STRI is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. Our mission is to understand tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, to train students to conduct research in the tropics and promote conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Visit the institute at our website and on Facebook, X and Instagram for updates. 

# # # 

Photo caption: The chytrid fungus disease is responsible for global amphibian population declines, such as the endangered limosa harlequin frog shown above. Photo credit: Brian Gratwicke, Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. 

---

Journal

Diversity and Distributions

DOI

10.1111/ddi.70052 

Method of Research

Computational simulation/modeling

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Modelling Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Presence and Intensity Using High Spatial and Temporal Resolution Weather Data

 

New monoclonal antibody targets deadly sepsis

University of Virginia Health System

Facebook

WhatsApEmail

Scientists at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and the University of Michigan have developed a monoclonal antibody to stop sepsis, a deadly full-body infection. The antibody also has the potential to treat a broad array of other inflammatory conditions, including autoimmune disorders, their research indicates.

In initial testing in lab mice, the antibody proved versatile and showed “transformative potential for combatting life-threatening inflammatory diseases,” the researchers report in a new scientific paper. Potential applications could include deadly acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), which rose to public attention during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as ischemia-reperfusion injury, which is tissue damage caused when blood flow is cut off and restored. (Ischemia-reperfusion injury is a major problem for organ transplantation.)

The researchers say their work has also shed light on the molecular causes of sepsis and has the potential to produce an important tool for diagnosing the condition and monitoring patients.

“This is the kind of breakthrough that can change the standard of care,” said Jianjie Ma, PhD, of UVA’s Department of Surgery and UVA Cancer Center. “By combining complementary expertise in basic science, innovation and translational medicine, and by working closely with our industry partners, we’ve developed a first-in-class antibody with the potential to save countless lives from sepsis and other severe inflammatory diseases.”

Stopping Sepsis

Sepsis strikes up to 50 million people worldwide every year, killing approximately 11 million. It is a leading cause of death in U.S. hospitals, and the risk of death increases every hour it goes untreated. It is caused when the body’s immune response spirals out of control in response to an infection, potentially leading to organ failure and death. Even with aggressive treatment, up to 40% of patients who reach the most severe stage of sepsis still die.

Ma and his collaborators’ new antibody, they hope, could become the first treatment that directly targets the underlying immune system dysregulation responsible for sepsis. It seeks to prevent the “cytokine storms” that made headlines in the pandemic, shutting down the body’s hyperactive immune response before organ damage can occur.

Further, early testing suggests the antibody can do so without the unwanted side effects of existing sepsis treatments, such as unintended suppression of the immune system. In the initial studies, the antibody was able to stop inflammatory cytokines and restore the function of immune cells called macrophages, all while protecting against sepsis-induced lung injury, the scientists report in their new paper.

In addition to the antibody’s potential therapeutic applications, the scientists say the tools they are using to produce it may be useful for detecting and monitoring sepsis. Their platform, called PEdELISA, can quantify six cytokines from a single drop of plasma within two hours.

“Our humanized antibody has shown both safety and effectiveness in blocking the cytokine storm and restoring healthy immune function,” said Yongqing Li, MD, PhD, of the University of Michigan Medical School. “Beyond treating acute infections, it has the potential to address a spectrum of diseases caused by faulty immune regulation, including autoimmune disorders, cancer and diabetes.”

The researchers have received $800,000 from Virginia Catalyst to launch a clinical trial of the antibody at UVA Health and Virginia Commonwealth University. The antibody has been extensively engineered for clinical application and presents significant translational potential, particularly when coupled with the PEdELISA diagnostic platform..

“Integrating PEdELISA with this first-in-class antibody therapy enables a comprehensive approach to sepsis management, allowing not only earlier and more accurate diagnosis but also continuous, near real-time monitoring of the patient’s immune status throughout treatment. This integration could facilitate timely therapeutic adjustments, prevent disease progression and ultimately increase the likelihood of achieving complete resolution,” industry partner Guidong Zhu said.

Better Understanding Sepsis

As they have developed their antibody, the scientists have made important discoveries about the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for sepsis. The researchers identified changes that take place in macrophages that spur harmful “feedback loops” that drive the body’s uncontrolled inflammatory response. The researchers’ new antibody, they found, interrupts those changes.

Ultimately, Ma and his collaborators hope their sepsis work will help overcome one of the great challenges in medicine. Finding those types of lifesaving, game-changing solutions is exactly the mission of UVA’s new Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology.

“UVA is proud to be part of this groundbreaking discovery,” said Melina R. Kibbe, MD, dean of UVA’s School of Medicine. “Our leadership is eager to work hand-in-hand with clinicians and industry partners to move this bench discovery into the clinic, where it could make the difference between life and death.”

Findings Published

The researchers have published their findings in the scientific journal Nature Communications. The research team consisted of Wenlu Ouyang, Yuchen Chen, Tao Tan, Yujing Song, Tao Dong, Xin Yu, Kyung Eun Lee, Xinyu Zhou, Zoe Tetz, Sophia Go, Xindi Zeng, Liujiazi Shao, Chao Quan, Ting Zhao, Yuzi Tian, Katsuo Kurabayashi, Hua Jin, Jichun Ma, Jingdong Qin, Brandon Williams, Qingtian Li, Zhu, Hasan B Alam, Kathleen A. Stringer, Yongqing Li and Ma. 

UVA has filed a patent application related to the work. Ma and Li are co-founders of HTIC Inc., a company that develops antibodies to regulate immune systems. Ma was honored in January with the Dean’s Excellence in Faculty Research Award from UVA’s School of Medicine.

The sepsis research was supported by the National Institutes of Health, grants R01HL155116, R01HL157215, R01AG07240, R01EY036243 and R35GM136312, and a Joint-of-Institute grant, U068874.

To keep up with the latest medical research news from UVA, subscribe to the Making of Medicine blog at http://makingofmedicine.virginia.edu.

---

Journal

Nature Communications

DOI

10.1038/s41467-025-62788-6 

 

Experience does not guarantee success for hiring CEOs

Study turns spotlight on hiring processes for company heads

University of Mississippi

Facebook

XLinkedInWeChatBlueskyMessageWhatsAppEmail

 

image: 

Top: Despite frequent CEO turnover, a new study indicates that company directors aren't always good at hiring CEOs just because they've done it before. In fact, they may even repeat past mistakes, an Ole Miss business researcher says.

view more 

Credit: Graphic by Stefanie Goodwiller/University Marketing and Communications

OXFORD, Miss. – When companies replace their CEOs, the stakes are high. But a new study shows that hiring boards might not be getting better at the process, even with practice. 

Chief executive turnover was at an all-time high in 2024, when more than 2,220 company leads stepped down from their positions. How good are hiring boards at replacing them? And do they get better the more they do it?  

Researchers posed these questions in a recent publication in Strategic Management Journal.  

“Most people improve with practice, but we find that this doesn’t hold true when it comes to directors selecting new CEOs, despite the high stakes,” said Rich Gentry, chair and professor of management at the University of Mississippi. “We found that directors with more past experience in CEO hiring do not tend to select better-performing CEOs.  

“In fact, there's some evidence they may do slightly worse.” 

The researchers included Gentry, Steven Boivie, Carroll and Dorothy Conn Chair in New Ventures Leadership at Texas A&M, Inn Hee Gee, assistant professor in the Division of Management and International Business at the University of Oklahoma, and Scott Graffin, head of the Department of Management at the University of Georgia.  

The team reviewed the hiring processes of CEOs from S&P 1500 firms – a mix of top U.S. companies of all sizes – from 1999 to 2020.  

“Hiring a CEO is very difficult, and it is almost impossible to know in advance who would be the perfect CEO,” Boivie said. “Because of that difficulty, it is easy for boards to overinterpret their prior experiences and to believe they should copy those same patterns. 

“If directors know that they need to avoid overgeneralizing from their prior experiences, then they might make fewer hiring errors.” 

The lead position in any organization often comes with high pressure and high stakes, meaning the decision to hire is an important one, the researchers said.  

“CEOs are asked to manage two different things,” Gentry said. “One is the short-term stock market performance. At the same time, they're asked to keep the company going for the long term.”  

Former film photography giant Kodak, for example, faced harsh criticism after its CEO pushed the company to invest in digital photography – a smart move in the long term. But at the time, analysts criticized the decision for harming short-term profits. Kodak ultimately filed for bankruptcy and restructured, despite being ahead of the curve technologically. 

In contrast, Microsoft’s board saw long-term success after hiring CEO Satya Nadella in 2014. Nadella’s embrace of cloud computing helped revitalize the company and dramatically grow its value while maintaining short-term profits.  

The researchers gauged the performance of CEOs using metrics such as firm performance adjusted for industry norms and company condition at the time of hire. They found that just because a board member has been on the hiring team for a CEO before doesn’t mean they’ve hired a successful one, or that they know what to look for in a leader, Gentry said.  

“That’s superstitious learning – the concept that ‘I’ve done it before; therefore, I probably know what I’m doing,’” he said. “Most humans have this concept of self-efficacy, but when it comes to a rare and complex event like hiring a CEO, it doesn’t always work that way.”  

Most directors face this decision only once or twice in their tenure, making it difficult to build reliable experience, the researchers said.  

“The implication of this study is that relying too heavily on prior hiring experience and overgeneralization can result in less successful hiring,” Gee said. “As Steve noted, if directors acknowledge these limitations and approach each hiring decision with deep contextual understanding, they may be able to avoid decision making errors.” 

To hire better, more successful CEOs, boards need to rely not on previous experience, but on structured evaluation and multiple perspectives while treating each hiring as a unique event.  

“CEO successions are rare, complex and highly context-specific events, making it easy for directors to misattribute what worked before,” Gentry said. “Our findings suggest that boards likely need more systematic support – beyond accumulated experience – when hiring new CEOs.” 

---

Journal

Strategic Management Journal

DOI

10.1002/smj.3725 

Article Title

Do boards learn to hire? The effect of board experience with CEO replacement on CEO performance