Our Research
How does motivation influence the structure of memory?
Memories are not direct representations of the environment. Rather an individuals’ goals shape how they tailor memories to support future behavior. This process is guided by interactions between different neuromodulatory systems and memory structures. By characterizing encoding and consolidation processes in different salient environments, a focus of the lab is to understand how different brain states shift the translation of veridical experiences into adaptive memories. Most recently, we have been exploring these interactions through the lens of narrative structure.
How does exploration influence memory?
Individuals value the ability to actively explore their environments, by manipulating the world around them and observing the outcomes. Critically, this type of active exploration helps build relational maps of the world that combine cues, actions, and outcomes. By manipulating individuals’ agency to manipulate their environment, a focus of the lab is to understand how active exploration contributes to episodic memory formation.
How do memory distortions relate to maladaptive behaviors?
Episodic memories serve as the lens in which we view our world and guide our ability to adaptively navigate complex environments. In many clinically-relevant populations, aberrant salience processing can distort memories by either fragmenting continuous narratives, exaggerating causal relationships between un-related factors, or distorting the balance of positive and negative events. In a series of studies, we explore how mechanisms of adaptive memory contribute to psychopathology by studying individuals at risk for developing anxiety, mood disorders, psychosis, and substance abuse.