Mentor: Dr. Jennifer Ryan
Project Description
The goal of this research project is to use web-based online eyetracking platforms to develop a short task that may screen for memory problems in older adults. The way we view the world is influenced by how we make memories, and what we can remember. This research project will give older adults a short task in which they will view scenes online, while their eyes are monitored via a webcam. We will relate their eye movements to various demographic and cognitive variables to determine whether eye movements are sensitive to memory decline, and to what extent they are affected by other factors such as education, socioeconomic status, race, or ethnicity.
Mentorship Statement
My journey into science began when someone took the time to encourage and mentor me; my goal is to pay that forward to others. My lab is a lively and collegial environment, in which all members support, teach, and learn from one another. My mentorship style includes daily or weekly one-on-one meetings as needed, weekly lab meetings with the group in which research papers and new findings are discussed, and pairing new students with a more senior member of the lab for discussion and training. Students will read the scientific literature, design and collect data for an experiment, analyse the data, and learn presentation skills to communicate research findings to the research lab.