2011-12-09
statement
Throughout the course of my research experiences and reviews of relevant literature, I�ve developed an understanding that cognition is best conceived of not as a separate set of static symbols and rules, but as the complex dynamic, emergent property of the brain and the environment in which it is embedded, including a neural architecture of highly distributed and interactive networks. A consequence of distributed representations is the potential for conflict when partial, incompatible overlapping representations are simultaneously activated. The prefrontal cortex is thought to retrieve memories in a context-relevant manner, whereas substructures of the medial temporal lobe are involved in binding and retrieval mechanisms. How do these regions, and their interactions with one another, functionally contribute to learning and memory? How is activation in this region subject to manipulation by task demands? In my graduate studies, I plan to investigate the complex cognitive and neural events that support memory, particularly the interactions between cognitive control and learning and memory. Data attained and analyzed from behavioral, eyetracking, and neuroimaging studies will begin addressing these questions. Additionally, I hope to investigate the nature of these representations by studying their anatomical localization, both by using cortical stimulation techniques and studying patients with lesions and brain damage.
leesah-likes at 1:24 p.m.