Lab Introduction

The human brain is comprised of a complex network of neurons each dynamically communicating with each other to give rise to the phenomenon of intelligent experiences and behaviors. Understanding how neural network activities instantiate intelligence is critical for predicting when these operations go awry as well as designing interventions to maintain healthy cognition. The goal of our laboratory is to uncover the linkages between neural network activities, neural network computations, and resilient cognitive processes. Our methodologies include magnetic resonance imaging of the human brain and cognitive experimental designs. We focus on participants over the lifespan from younger to older adults, and from different cultural backgrounds to capture the rich variation that characterizes human brain cognitive functioning. In addition, we consider artificial neural network models of human behaviors as a means to examine formal associations between neural network architecture and information processing. Our recent studies examine how human brain neural network activities encode beliefs about its environment, and how certain belief operations are associated with cognitive resilience. Through these objective indications of internal mental states, we aim to develop a means to profile individual neurocognitive states, predict future states, and design effective interventions for cognitive aging.