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Why do we forget? Or more importantly, what determines
whether or how we will remember what we encounter? Although
we have a good grasp on what kinds of memory failures
typically result from various forms of brain damage
and even normal aging, we still lack an understanding
of how these brain systems, independently and in concert,
contribute to normal memory formation. My research program
is focused on better understanding the neural and cognitive
processes that contribute to memory formation, consolidation
and retrieval. In particular, we are interested in elucidating
how different forms of memory - forgetting, feelings
of familiarity, detailed recollections, emotional memories
- may be dependent upon distinct neural mechanisms.
In the lab, we use functional magnetic resonance imaging
(fMRI) to literally obtain pictures of your brain forming
or retrieving memories (or not!). This approach has
yielded invaluable insight into how regions within the
human medial temporal lobe may work together during
the construction and reconstruction of memories as well
as how the MTL interacts with other brain regions during
memory formation.
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