Research in my laboratory is concerned with the mechanisms that underlie memory.  The central question guiding research in my laboratory is, how is it that we learn and remember information such that our past experiences influence our behavior?  Previous research has shown that it  is useful to divide long-term memory into two types of memory.  One type of memory, memory for facts and events, (often called declarative or  explicit memory) requires structures in the medial temporal lobe such as the hippocampus.  The other type of memory, memory for skills, habits and other unconscious forms of memory (often called nondeclarative or  implicit memory) appears to be independent of the medial temporal lobe.

Using the techniques of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), traditional experimental psychology, neuropsychological studies of amnesic patients, and connectionist modeling, research in my laboratory is  focused on how the neural systems supporting these two types of memory operate and interact.  For example, within the medial temporal lobe, what is the role of the hippocampus and what is the role of the adjacent parahippocampal gyrus?  If declarative memory can eventually be supported by structures outside of the medial temporal lobe (via a consolidation process), can we use this mechanism to teach amnesic patients facts without use of the medial temporal lobe?  Can we use false memories as “memory illusions” to understand the neural basis of memory as visual illusions helped us understand the neural basis of visual processing?   In addition to projects centered on gaining an understanding of the neural mechanisms that support memory, there are several projects in my laboratory aimed at further developing the techniques and methods of fMRI so that it might become an even more useful and powerful tool for cognitive neuroscience.

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