Kali A. Sarver, M.S.

My interest in studying the aging brain began in college. As an undergraduate student, I developed a deep interest in cognitive psychology and served as a research assistant in two psychology labs, which allowed me to hone both qualitative and quantitative research skills. Although I enjoyed the research I was conducting, I was particularly drawn to understanding aging and memory, specifically, how aging affects neural and psychological development, but my undergraduate institution did not offer opportunities in this area. As a first-generation college student, I was motivated to seek out experiences beyond my institution, which led me to work at a skilled personal care facility, where I witnessed firsthand the challenges many older adults face in daily functioning. This experience reinforced my desire to learn about the aging brain and explore ways to support older adults through research.

As a senior, I worked as an intern at the Virtual Brain Health Center (VBHC), and with the help of Dr. Culler, I designed and taught a class on keeping the brain active and co-authored two articles: one on brain games as a tool to stay cognitively engaged, and another article in Today's Geriatric Medicine on investing in brain health. Through these experiences, I recognized my interests and developed a strong motivation to use my education to help older adults.

At the University of Michigan (U of M), I joined the Cognitive & Affective Neuropsychology lab (PI: Dr. Reuter-Lorenz), dedicated to understanding memory processes and changes in cognitive functions as we age. Under the mentorship of Dr. Reuter-Lorenz in U of M’s Department of Psychology, I want to use cognitive psychology methods to continue investigating brain changes with age. Some of my research projects include: affective working memory (AWM) and non-affective working memory ability across the adult lifespan, The influence of task parameters on AWM in younger adults, including how intensity order affects positive and negative emotion maintenance (manuscript in preparation), The relationship between AWM and affective forecasting (AF) in younger and older adults, Development of methodological protocols for studying emotional working memory (book chapter in preparation).