People

Dr. Yonelinas is examining the processes underlying human memory. In order to characterize the functional nature of different memory processes, he is currently using implicit and explicit tests as well as several ‘second generation’ procedures such as the process dissociation procedure, the independence remember/know procedure, and ROC modeling procedure. In order to determine the neural substrates of memory encoding and retrieval processes he is i) examining memory impaired patients such as amnesics and Alzheimer’s patients, and ii) examining the physiological correlates of memory processes using neuroimaging techniques such as event related potentials and function magnetic resonance imaging. The goal of this work is to develop and test models of memory that address recent behavioral, neuropsychological and brain imaging data.

Trevor is the current staff research manager for both the Human Memory Lab and Dynamic Memory Lab, where he heads patient testing and facilitates the many research projects of graduate students and postdocs. Trevor is currently involved in the development of programs that will increase diversity among research staff, as well as programs which aim to prepare undergraduates for a career in research. His research interests span a wide variety of topics, including cognition, consciousness, and the integration of the nervous system with prosthetic devices. Specifically, Trevor is interested in how many current research methodologies can be implemented to give patients an immediate and tangible benefit. Trevor spent his undergraduate career developing and piloting the current Cognitive Science major at UC Davis, where he received his B.S. from in 2015. When not in the lab, Trevor enjoys reading and writing science fiction and fantasy, camping , cycling, and cooking.

Alyssa is a graduate student in the Perception, Cognition, & Cognitive Neuroscience (PCCN) area of psychology. She earned her B.S. in Neuroscience from the University of Michigan in 2009 and then worked as the lab manager for the HML before starting grad school. Using both neuroimaging and neuropsychological methods, the goal of her research is to understand the contributions of the hippocampus to precision and complex representations in both long-term memory and visual working memory.When not working, Alyssa spends most of her free time outdoors. She enjoys hiking to swimming holes, climbing trees and rocks, biking to breweries and food trucks, and napping anywhere a hammock can be strung up.

Kathryn is a Psychology graduate student at UC Davis, where she works in both the Human Memory Lab, as well as the Cognitive Neuroscience of Language lab with Dr. Swaab. Her unique appointment in both labs allows her to study the interactions of sentence processing and memory. Her research is focused on the various sources of information that are used to generate expectations about how a sentence will unfold. She also examines how these expectations influence online sentence processing, as well as the construction of sentence representations in memory. In her free time, Kathryn enjoys reading, cross stitching, playing piano, and getting outside.

Robin is a Ph.D. candidate in the Perception, Cognition, & Cognitive Neuroscience (PCCN) area of psychology. Using behavioral, neuropsychological, and eye-tracking methods, her work is situated at the intersection of perception, visual working memory, and long-term memory. Robin is particularly interested in how the different processes underlying these traditionally separate research domains are related, and especially how they may be supported by overlapping brain regions. Additionally, Robin studies the role of the hippocampus in precise vs. complex visual working memory representations, and the trade-off in performance for these different representational requirements. Aside from research, Robin is a zealous Harry Potter fan and while (still) waiting for her Hogwarts letter, she enjoys binge-watching Netflix, cooking, any and all dogs, and happy hours with her lab family.

Andrew is a Ph.D. candidate in psychology, interested in wide-ranging topics in cognitive psychology, primarily under the umbrella of learning, memory, and perception.  Andrew’s dissertation work aims to understand the effects of acute stress on processes involved in long-term memory.  He is also interested in applying research-based principles of learning and memory to improve educational efficacy, in and out of the classroom setting.  Andrew received his B.A. in psychology from the University of North Carolina Wilmington in 2005, and his M.A. in cognitive psychology from UNCW in 2010.  When not conducting research or teaching, Andrew is likely enjoying the outdoors in the company of his dog.

Ilse is the current Jr. Research Specialist for the Human Memory Lab, where she handles both administrative and research tasks that range from training and scheduling Undergraduate Research Assistants, to developing experimental tasks using programming languages such as Python. Her research interests span a wide variety of topics, including visual perception, attention, prospective memory, and the impact of technology on daily cognitive functions. Particularly, Ilse is interested in how intrusive media and technology use may interrupt our ability to pay focused attention, impact academic performance and memory for past and future events. For this purpose, Ilse spent the last two years of her undergraduate career conducting independent research investigating how providing students with technology breaks during class helps their academic performance. Outside of lab, Ilse likes to spend time with her daughter, husband and cat, wake up bright and early to exercise in nature, play the piano anytime there is a chance, and catch up with family and friends.

Michelle is a PhD student in psychology and is a member of both the Human Memory Lab and the Visual Cognition Lab, where she works with John Henderson to study memory for scenes using eye tracking. She is also interested in the effect of lifestyle factors such as diet on cognition. Particularly, she is interested in how such effects relate to stress, aging, and cognitive decline. Michelle is also a freelance photographer shooting portraits and products for clients, and in her free time she enjoys running and hiking with her dog, cooking, lifting weights, and writing fiction.

Matt’s primary research interests include looking at how stress influences memory, and the role that context plays in these effects. In addition to stress, Matt is also interested in how emotional arousal affects memory. Matt completed his Bachelors at the University of Minnesota in 2010, and his Masters from University of Chicago in 2012. He also worked as a lab manager for Marcia Johnson in New Haven. Outside of research, he is an avid baseball fan (go Twins!), and enjoys astronomy and astrophotography.

Grant is a Ph.D. candidate in psychology, interested in determining the effects of stress on both executive function and long-term memory, as well as the biological pathways through which those effects occur. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of these interests, Grant also works with Brian C. Trainor in the Behavioral Neuroendocrinology Lab, and Camelia E. Hostinar in the Social Environment and Stress lab at UC Davis. Grant received his B.A. from Simpson University in 2012, and his M.A. from U.C. Davis in 2015. When not busy working, Grant enjoys playing with his dogs, hiking, and snowboarding.