Roberto Cabeza

I'm originally from Buenos Aires, Argentina, but I lived in Japan for many years. I did my postdoc with Endel Tulving and Randy McIntosh at the Rotman Research Institute (University of Toronto) and had my first faculty position at the University of Alberta in Edmonton (Canada). In 2001, I moved to Duke, where I'm now an associate professor in the Department of Psychology & Neuroscience and a core member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. I am interested in all areas of cognitive neuroscience of memory, and in particular, in all the topics described in the Projects page. If you have any questions about my lab, please e-mail me.

Curriculum Vitae

Jared Stokes

Alex Atkins

I joined the Cabeza Lab in October 2009, after completing my Ph.D. with Patricia Reuter-Lorenz at the University of Michigan. My dissertation investigated the psychological and neural mechanisms of semantic interference and false recognition in short-term memory. *This work highlighted the vulnerability of verbatim memory processes, and demonstrated that semantic interference in STM is associated with increased activity in LVLPFC regions implicated in cognitive control. * My current projects in the Cabaza Lab examine top-down and bottom-up influences on MTL activation in memory and non-memory tasks, as well as the relationship between episodic recovery and controlled retrieval processes. Some other interests include cognitive aging, executive processing, and the relationship between short- and long-term memory processes. Prior to completing my Ph.D., I earned a Bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College and a Master’s degree from the University of Chicago.

Ilana Dew

I have broad interests in the cognitive neuroscience of memory and aging. I completed my Ph.D. in 2010 with Kelly Giovanello at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. My doctoral dissertation examined the effects of aging on the cognitive and neural correlates of implicit and explicit memory for new associations. As a post-doc in the Cabeza Lab, I am studying the neural basis of age-related deficits in recollection and age-related preservations in familiarity, using fMRI, DTI, and individual difference methods. I am also interested in investigating the contribution of conceptual priming to familiarity-based recognition. I received my B.A. in 2002 from Barnard College of Columbia University, and received my M.A. in 2007 with Neil Mulligan at UNC, studying the effects of generation on visual and auditory implicit memory.

Laura Lorenzo López

I am a postdoc within a group at the University of Santiago de Compostela (Spain), headed by Dr. Elena Amenedo. My recent research has focused on studying the effects of aging on attention allocation during visual search processes, and more recently on working memory processes (specifically concerning interference control mechanisms) by means of behavioral and electrophysiological measures (EEG-ERPs and MEG). I am currently interested in exploring the neural basis of cognitive aging and the interactions between attention and memory processes in the brain by using neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance Imaging (fMRI).

James Kragel

I am an associate in research at the CabezaLab. I graduated from Duke University with a B.S.E. in biomedical engineering in December of 2005, with coursework focusing in signal processing and imaging. My interests include experimental design optimization, and imaging workflow.

Simon W. Davis

I am a fourth-year grad student at the CCN, researching the biological bases of age-related differences in semantic memory processing by using measures of structural white matter connectivity. I received a B.A. in Neurobiology from New College of Florida, and then served as Research Associate under James T. Becker at the University of Pittsburgh’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. I received an M.Sc. in Neuropsychology from University College London, working with Jon Simons investigating source memory and reality monitoring.

Personal Website

Peggy St. Jacques

My research focuses on memory for events from the real world or autobiographical memory, which encompasses the processes that are involved in the conscious recollection of the personal past and involves the interaction of multiple separate systems. In particular, I study the contribution of episodic and semantic components of autobiographical memory and the role of emotion in modulating these components. Another focus has been on examining the temporal component of autobiographical memory, which encompasses both the recent past (e.g., yesterday) as well as the remote past (e.g., decades old). In addition to behavioral indices, I am investigating the neural correlates of autobiographical memory and retrieval processes by using neuroimaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Using a multifaceted approach to understand autobiographical memory, my investigations have extended to patients with post-traumatic stress disorder, as well as to healthy and demented older adult populations.

Personal Website

Maureen Ritchey

I am a fourth-year graduate student in Psychology & Neuroscience and also a member of the Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Neuroscience. I graduated from the University of Notre Dame in 2005 with a B.S. in Mathematics and a B.A. in Psychology. I'm primarily interested in how encoding and consolidation processes contribute to enhanced memory for arousing stimuli. In particular, I examine how the medial temporal lobes interact with the amygdala and prefrontal cortex to form associations between emotional and neutral information, and how these associations impact subsequent memory.

Yonatan Mazuz

I’m interested in how attention and memory interact in the brain and behaviorally. I’m especially curious about the role of parietal regions in episodic retrieval.

Erik Wing

I am a first year graduate student in the Cabez Lab with broad interests in the functioning of implicit and explicit memory.  Some of my specific interests and areas of research include memory for autobiographical events, the role of the medial temporal lobes (MTL) in processing stimulus associations, and potential applications of memory research for learning and education.

Undergraduate Research Assistants

Jamaur Bronner

I am a junior at Duke University, majoring in Psychology (B.S.) with a concentration in Neuroscience, with the anticipation of also obtaining a certificate in Markets and Management. My future goals include working in the government or academic research sect and obtaining a Ph.D. in neuroscience. My short term goals include organizing a neuroscience club on campus, doing independent study, and using my RA position and courseload to learn more about the physiology of the brain and its cognitive processes.

Christina Carlson

I am a junior at Duke University. I have been with the Cabeza Lab since the fall of 2008, and involved in cognitive psychology research since my freshmen year. I am an Environmental Science and Policy Major and an English Minor with (evidently) varied interests in many fields. I plan to join the Peace Corps upon graduation from Duke before attending graduate school in a yet to be identified field.

Alex Stepanenko

Though originally from Ukraine, I lived in Las Vegas, NV before coming to Duke University. Currently, I'm working on a B.A. in Psychology and a certificate in Sexuality Studies, with the hope of becoming a mental health professional in the future. Being an RA at the Cabeza Lab is a great opportunity to see a different side of psychology, and gain experience in the field of neuroscience research.

Nathan Pham

I am a Freshman that is planning on declaring a Neuroscience major (though required by Duke to not declare for a few more months). My long term goals are undefined, but some form post-undergraduate school is most certainly involved. My goals in neuroscience research involve understanding the relationship between music and the brain. I am also the president of Club Badminton, which is extremely serious business.

Megna Raksit

Claire Li

Prithviraj Singha

Amberly Tenney

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