 |
Student Profiles
CV
|
NURIA ABDULSABUR studies the neural correlates of naturalistic language production and comprehension. Although her studies have included multimodal imaging approaches, Nuria primarily uses fMRI to examine the neural substrates of and cognitive processes underlying discourse level communication, i.e. narratives and conversations. One of the questions that guide Nuria's work is to what extent do brain regions not typically associated with language support real-life human communication. Nuria is also interested in the social factors that impact human communication. In her current research, she uses two fMRI scanners to simultaneously image the brains of pairs of healthy adults while they engage in unscripted conversations. She manipulates social aspects of their interaction, such as collaboration and joint attention, while attempting to preserve ecological validity. It is Nuria's aim to contribute to the scientific understanding of the relationship between language, social interaction, and the brain in order to shed light on clinical disorders linked to social and communicative impairments, such as autism spectrum disorder and traumatic brain injury. |
CV
|
AMANDA CHICOLI is interested in collective behavior of fish schools, including information transmission and collective decision-making. While each individual fish possesses a wide variety of sensors, they can also gain information from nearby individuals. What information they acquire and how they use this information to make decisions are major questions her research program asks. Another major aspect of her research is to apply the principles of collective behavior in biological groups to autonomous vehicles and mixed robot-animal swarms. In order study these questions,she uses a combination of behavioral and computational techniques.Understanding how functional complexity at the macroscopic scale results from interactions at the microscopic scale is pervasive problem throughout biology and understanding group complexity has wide-ranging applications, from bio-inspired algorithms in autonomous multi-vehicle control to aspects of group decision-making. |
CV
|
JEFF CHRABASZCZ is interested in
in better understanding the relationship between human memory and decision making. Though we know people's decisions depart from rationality, some of this deviation can already be explained by understanding the underlying structure ofmemory. Better understanding of this relationship could allow us to predict human behavior more accurately, or increase the performance of people when making decisions. He uses a variety of computational modeling techniques, in addition to behavioral and neuropsychological methods, to investigate this link. Jeffrey is also planning to use his background in stress and anxiety to better understand the subtle ways in which physiological and affective states can influence cognitive processes (e.g., memory) and behavior, (e.g., judgments and decisions). |
CV
Webpage
|
BEN FALK studies sensorimotor and multisensory integration in flying, echolocating bats. Echolocating bats emit ultrasonic cries and listen to the returning echoes to navigate in the dark. Bats possess small microscopic hairs on their wings that could sense air currents and vortices relevant for flight control. Flight behaviors can be monitored using high-speed cameras for reconstructing wing and body kinematics. Perturbations in airflow can be introduced while the bats navigate obstacles to reach a food reward. Bats adapt their echolocation behavior to better ensonify targets in a complex environment. Measures of the bat’s sonar cries taken from ultrasound sensitive microphones indicate attention toward different objects in their environment. Whether bats change echolocation or flight behavior following the loss of somatosensory information (wing hairs depilated) is a major research question. This research enables the better understanding of how the bat combines adaptive echolocation behavior with wing and body movements in order to achieve flight performance during complex aerial maneuvers. |
Website & CV
|
ALICE JACKSON studies the role of context in word learning in child and adult populations using behavioral, neuroimaging (EEG/ERP), and computational techniques. Additional interests include machine learning techniques for modeling language acquisition and use; graph theoretic approaches to language representation; how exposure to different sources of language use influences flexibility and generativity of language; brain-computer interfaces; and neuro- and bio-feedback.
|
CV
|
JOANNA SZCZEPANIK is interested in the neurobiology of depression, in particular the core symptom of ‘lack of interest or pleasure.’ She has developed a behavioral approach motivation task (BAMP) to study processes related to evaluating and approaching individually relevant stimuli. The goal of this experimental paradigm is to assess how activity ‘liking’ (as opposed to just wanting or needing) relates to motivation to engage, and how symptoms of depression and anhedonia alter approach of favorite activities. A paradigm such as this can be applied in neuroimaging studies of depression to elicit neural correlates of behaviors related to pursuit of pleasureable activities, and contribute to understanding of biology of anhedonia. Other research interests are pharmacological and behavioral treatments for depression and their impact on brain function. |
CV
|
SUSAN TEUBNER-RHODES studies the relationship between cognitive control (e.g., the ability to regulate thoughts and behavior) and language processing. Specifically, her research tests whether individual differences in cognitive control abilities influence lexical access, language acquisition, and sentence processing, especially in cases when the typical environmental cues used for these processes are conflicting or misleading, thus increasing cognitive demands. Additionally, using both behavioral and neuroimaging techniques (e.g., fMRI), she examines the role of different language experiences, such as bilingualism, on the conflict monitoring system, including the anterior cingulate cortex, which is responsible for detecting conflict, and dorsolateral and ventrolateral regions of the left prefrontal cortex, which are responsible for implementing conflict resolution.
|
CV |
KATIE WILLIS studies the anatomy and physiology of the hindbrain sound localization circuit as well as the functional morphology of middle ear cavities. She is broadly interested in the evolution of sensory systems. Using tract tracing, she digitally reconstructs the connectivity hindbrain nuclei as well as individual neurons. This approach is paired with in vivo physiology in order to understand how interaural time differences are detected. |
|
|
|
