Scientific Mission

The Attention, Affect, and Aging Lab investigates how the brain changes with age and why some people preserve optimal cognitive function as they grow older while others experience significant attention and memory decline. 

Our research is centered around two long-term research goals.
1. To understand the brain mechanisms underlying age-related cognitive decline in  order to inform interventions that promote healthy cognitive aging.
2. Identify early cognitive biomarkers capable of detecting individuals in midlife who may be at elevated risk for developing significant neuropathology and transitioning to prodromal stage of Alzheimer's disease (e.g., mild cognitive impairment).

To address these goals, we use a multimodal approach that combines behavioral psychophysics, electroencephalography, eye tracking, and neuroimaging to better understand the relationships among cognition, physiology, and healthy aging. In combination with blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease and neuropsychological assessments, our work aims to identify sensitive biosignals associated with the earliest stages of neurodegenerative disease progression.