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? Finally, how does aging affect
memory and the operation of the medial temporal lobes? 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.