My research focuses on the pursuit of neurobiological, cognitive, and psychosocial approaches toward understanding and enhancing learning, remembering and executive functions in normal aging and dementia. Specifically, I have two primary and interrelated branches to my research program.

2010-11 Research Team (L-R): Lindsay Diaferio, Alissa Butts, Kara Schneidewend, Steve Byers, Dr. Nielson, Steve Catlin, Shaun English, Nathan Hantke, Tom Arneson, Maggie Rooney, Sean Coad. Not pictured: Gizelle Gonzalez, Cara Macchia, Stephanie Ocwieja, Kristen Skells, Rachael Wandrey.

First, I study memory formation and memory consolidation and the treatments and individual differences that influence it. Second, I study the neurobiological, physiological, and cognitive foundations of age- and dementia-related cognitive decline, along with methods designed to prevent or reverse such declines. Studies in the lab involve both graduate and undergraduate researchers as investigators, presenters and authors.

Current studies include:

studies of various agents and techniques, such as muscle tension, that may enhance memory via arousal mechanisms;
studies of the effects of emotion, thrill-seeking (such as skydiving), alexithymia and emotion regulation strategies on memory and executive functioning;
modulation of false memory and forgetting;
investigation of the physiological foundations of neural changes with age and the risk factors that interact with them, using fMRI;
investigations of the utility of EEG as a biomarker of AD using executive functioning and memory tasks.