Online screening for age-related memory decline

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 willContinue reading “Online screening for age-related memory decline”

How prior knowledge begets new memories

Mentor: Dr. Asaf Gilboa Project Description Learning something new is easier if we already have knowledge on that topic, but how this happens in the brain is only beginning to be understood. Most studies of how the brain makes new memories use stimuli, such as a list of unrelated words, that separate information from itsContinue reading “How prior knowledge begets new memories”

Learning, memory, and reasoning: the mutual interplay of cognition’s key mechanisms

Mentor: Dr. Michael Mack Project Description Our ability to learn, reason, and remember often go hand-in-hand. However, scientific research has largely treated them as independent abilities with separate brain systems. More recent cognitive neuroscience findings suggest otherwise—the same brain regions known to support memory, like the hippocampus, also play a role in new learning. InContinue reading “Learning, memory, and reasoning: the mutual interplay of cognition’s key mechanisms”

Evaluating eye-movement and brain imaging indicators that predict dementia in healthy older adults

Mentor: Dr. Rosanna Olsen Project Description Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a devastating and costly neurodegenerative illness. A major barrier to the discovery of new treatments is that we currently lack measures that can detect AD prior to symptom onset. Early and effective diagnosis of AD provides a critical opportunity for patients to seek out treatmentsContinue reading “Evaluating eye-movement and brain imaging indicators that predict dementia in healthy older adults”

Memory organization over time

Mentor: Dr. Morgan Barense Project Description A hallmark of human behavior is the recounting of experiences and the retelling of our past. When we first recall a recent event, we tend to include lots of details about the event, but as the event fades in our memory, the access to details decreases, potentially changing theContinue reading “Memory organization over time”