Teaching and mentorship

Course design, lecture preparation, public presentation, and successful mentorship of many students.

Eye tracking

Practical knowledge about using eye-tracking systems, processing eye-movement data, and analyzing/interpreting those data.

Neuroimaging

Collection, processing, and analysis of structural and functional neuroimaging data, particularly resting-state fMRI.

Statistical analysis

Extensive applied and theoretical knowledge of statistics including hierarchical linear models and statistical programming.

Computing

Long experience with many high-level programming languages, shell scripting, and Web technologies.

Neuropsychology

Extensive experience with standard and experimental tests of memory in neurological populations including severely amnesic patients.

Teaching and mentorship

I consider teaching and mentorship of undergraduate and graduate students to be a privilege, and I have substantial experience in both classroom instruction and laboratory mentorship. My teaching training has included large lectures and small seminars, and I am comfortable and effective in either setting. Meanwhile, I have also mentored many undergraduate and graduate students through senior projects, first-year projects, and master's theses, and have enjoyed helping students at all levels fulfill their goals. I am excited about the opportunity to mentor students in my own lab, and to sponsor them throughout their education and subsequent careers.

Eye tracking

Eye-tracking techniques can provide extraordinary insight into ongoing cognition and previous experience of studied materials. I have extensive experience in the design, implementation, and analysis of eye-tracking studies. I have used eye-tracking systems to monitor the eye movements of healthy participants and neuropsychological patients while they performed cognitive psychology tasks testing memory and other cognitive processes. I am very comfortable with the processing, analysis, and reporting of eye-movement data, and I firmly believe that eye-tracking measures provide a unique perspective on cognitive processes not afforded by other techniques.

Neuroimaging

I have substantial experience with the collection, processing, and analysis of structural and resting-state functional neuroimaging data. Regarding structural neuroimaging data, I have published volumetric analyses of the hippocampus in a severely amnesic patient based on anatomical tracing, and am currently preparing additional volumetric work for publication. I have also conducted longitudinal analyses of hippocampal volume in a sample of anoxic amnesic patients. Furthermore, I have conducted lesion analysis of patients with focal brain injury due to resection or stroke. Regarding functional neuroimaging data, I have conducted preliminary analysis of resting-state functional connectivity in several brain networks after brain lesion. Additionally, I am actively collaborating on projects examining the importance of various brain regions to cognition and memory based on resting-state functional connectivity.

Statistical analysis

I have a strong working and theoretical knowledge of statistical techniques from basic descriptive statistics to a variety of advanced statistical techniques. One powerful set of tools that I frequently employ is hierarchical linear modeling (also called linear mixed modeling), which I have found to be extremely useful for analyzing many different kinds of data including behavioral and eye-movement measures. I am also comfortable with a variety of multivariate techniques including clustering and independent component analysis.

Computing

I enjoy computing and computers as a hobbyist, and this has translated seamlessly into my work. I am proficient in many high-level programming languages such as Python, Matlab (including the Psychophysics Toolbox), R, Javascript, Neurobehavioral Systems's Presentation, and others. I also have a strong working knowledge of Web and other layout technologies, including HTML, CSS, LaTeX, and databases, many of which were used in assembling this website. Design of compelling visual presentations of data in charts and plots is another significant, related interest, and is best illustrated in my published work.

Neuropsychology

I have been working with neuropsychological patients for approximately a decade, and have administered hundreds of hours of experimental tasks. Much of this work has involved research with severely amnesic patients, but I have also worked with many other neurological populations, including survivors of stroke and traumatic brain injury, pre- and post-resection patients, and patients living with dementia. I am comfortable administering and interpreting many neuropsychological tests, especially those addressing memory.