Research Staff 

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. Currently he is attending the UC Davis Graduate School of Management where he will obtain his MBA degree in 2023. When not in the lab, Trevor enjoys reading, 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.

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.

Cameron is a PhD student in Psychology and is a member of both the Human Memory Lab. Cameron’s research interests include looking at the effects that acute stress has on memory and whether that effect depends on the relative timing of the stressor and the context of encoding. Cameron completed his Bachelors at the University of Maryland Baltimore County in 2016, and worked as a post-baccalaureate research trainee for Alex Martin at the National Institutes of Health. Aside from his academic interests, he enjoys playing lacrosse and socializing with friends.

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.