My research focuses on the study of individual differences
with an emphasis on temperament and cognition.
My research focuses on the study of individual differences
with an emphasis on temperament and cognition.
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with an emphasis on temperament and cognition.
I am interested in what contributes to individual variation in cognition.
My current work applies this interest to studying the factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders by examining individual differences in learning, memory, attention, and motivation. I utilize a multi-disciplinary approach to address research questions, combining behavioral (computerized tasks, implicit learning, eye tracking) and physiological (fNIRS, fMRI) methods to better understand the cognitive processes and related neural structures that contribute to risk for anxiety across the lifespan.
I am interested in what contributes to individual variation in cognition.
My current work applies this interest to studying the factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders by examining individual differences in learning, memory, attention, and motivation. I utilize a multi-disciplinary approach to address research questions, combining behavioral (computerized tasks, implicit learning, eye tracking) and physiological (fNIRS, fMRI) methods to better understand the cognitive processes and related neural structures that contribute to risk for anxiety across the lifespan.
Current Research
Behavioral Research Studies:
Through the use of carefully designed behavioral tasks I can make inferences about differences in neural processes underlying performance in healthy young and older adults. My research uses tasks that measure basic learning and memory processes, as well as those that assess the role of motivational and attentional mechanisms such as inhibition and avoidance. Many of these tasks take the form of simple computer “games” in which participants respond to stimuli on the screen.
fNIRS Research Studies:
I combine the use of computerized tasks with non-invasive measurements of brain activity to further examine individual differences in neural functioning. I am particularly interested in how behavioral differences correlates to activity of the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum.
fMRI Modeling, Hypothesis Testing, and Analysis:
Presently, my research utilizes resting-state functional MRI and behavioral data from large, open-source databases (such as the Cam-CAN database) to test theoretical models of functional connectivity and generate new hypotheses examining behavior, aging, and connectivity.
Collaborations
Understanding risk factors for post-traumatic stress disorder: Many of my tasks are developed in collaboration with scientists at US Veterans Affairs, with the intention of utilizing these tasks in samples of Veterans to improve understanding of PTSD, both from a treatment perspective and to evaluate risk.
Assessment of lesion location and its relationship to post stroke cognitive dysfunction: In collaboration with Kessler Foundation Stroke Rehabilitation Research, I utilize voxel based lesion symptom mapping (VLSM), a clinical neuroimaging process that allows brain-behavior based examination between lesion locations in stroke survivors and behavioral deficits.
Individual differences in boundary extension: The role of behavioral inhibition: We are studying whether behavioral inhibition leads to individual differences in the boundary extension phenomena. This project is in collaboration with Dr. Helene Intraub and the Spatial Cognition Lab at the University of Delaware.
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