Members

Jihyun joined the lab in Summer of 2018 after finishing her Ph.D at Washington University in St. Louis with her studies on visual attention. She is interested in examining manifestations of cognitive control followed by dynamic conflict cues. In line with this idea, her research focuses on how implicit learning of conflicts modulate cognitive control and how it is affected by Alzheimer’s disease as well as normal aging. She is also investigating whether conflict monitoring mechanisms operate in an automatic or a resource-demanding manner. She uses behavioral measures, eye-tracking, and computational modeling to examine her research questions.

Personal Website

Abhishek is interested in the intersectionality of implicit mechanisms of control and explicit judgements and performance.  Abhishek’s previous research was involved with action control.  His master’s thesis examined the effect of instructions on implicit knowledge of the uncertainty of motor actions.  Currently, he is investigating the boundary conditions of when cognitive control mechanisms are applied to representations of categories, as opposed to representations of exemplars.  Understanding these boundary conditions would inform future research regarding stereotyping and policy-making for diversity training.  Abhishek is also looking to investigate whether (a) minute environmental shifts can be detectable, and (b) if awareness of those shifts leads to performance changes in either proactive or reactive control.

Emily joined the lab in the Fall of 2016 after earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Washington and Lee University in May 2016. Her bachelor’s thesis examined the impact of multitasking and divided attention on information processing and learning in an academic context. She is currently investigating how divided attention impacts prospective memory. Her research interests include aging, prospective memory, cognitive control, and attention.

Jackson joined the lab in the Fall of 2017 after finishing a bachelor’s degree at Wake Forest University. Jackson’s research interests currently include understanding the reactive control processes that underlie recruitment of control based on previous experiences with items and contexts, what design factors encourage or discourage the learning and transfer of reactive control, and how much of one’s previous experience continues to inform proactive predictions of the likelihood of conflict or a task switch.

In his free time, Jackson enjoys running, indie-rock music, soccer, basketball, coffee, and hiking.

Jackson’s CV

Funded by an NIA Training Grant, Hunter was a post-doc in the Cognitive Control and Aging Lab from 2015 to 2018.

Nate earned his PhD in 2018. His dissertation was entitled: Mind Wandering in Old Age: Lack of Thoughts or Lack of Resources.

Emily graduated from Bates College in 2007 with a degree in Psychology and then worked at Montana State University on an NSF-funded grant for Keith Hutchison before heading to Washington University for graduate school. While in graduate school, she worked in Dr. Dave Balota’s Cognitive Psychology Lab exploring cognitive aging, language processing, and attentional control. After defending her dissertation on visual word identification in aging, she worked for a year at the Teaching Center at Washington University before rejoining the Psychological and Brain Sciences Dept. as a Lecturer, where she now teaches Introductory Psychology, Psychological Statistics, and Experimental Psychology. She has been collaborating with Dr. Bugg on projects related to cognitive control and aging since 2014.

Google Scholar Link

Blaire graduated from Davidson College in 2010 with a degree in Psychology. She recently earned a PhD from WashU under the guidance of Dr. Abrams and is currently a post-doc at the University of Toronto. In addition to her primary research examining visual perception and its interaction with action, she collaborates with the CCA lab on projects related to the flexibility of cognitive control (e.g., how any why can multiple control settings be maintained simultaneously).

Merve joined the lab in Fall 2021 after earning her master’s degree in Cognitive Psychology from Middle East Technical University in Turkey. Her research mainly focuses on learning and transfer of attentional control settings. She is investigating how people learn the associations between experienced conflict and implemented control settings, and how they transfer these control settings to novel situations. Additionally, she investigates the influence of global and local expectations on the adjustment of attentional control settings over and above the influence of experience.

My research interests include task switching, cognitive control, and response inhibition in the context of aging. Currently, I’m looking at how our ability to use cognitive control (e.g., minimizing distraction) differs between younger and older adults. On the statistical side of things, I’m also exploring the conditions under which Bayesian analyses provide a definitive advantage over frequentist methods (e.g., ANOVA) in the context of hypothesis testing and statistical power.

My CV/resume is always being updated. For the most current version, including links to all publications, please visit my LinkedIn page at www.linkedin.com/in/laurengrant-phd

Lauren’s CV

I am a current sophomore studying PNP on the Cognitive Neuroscience track with a minor in Business. I am interested in the intersections between health and business and healthcare economics. I am currently studying the transfer of attentional control between tasks.

In my free time I like to try new restaurants in St. Louis and walk around campus!

Howdy! I am a junior majoring in Cognitive Neuroscience with a minor in computer science. I have an interest in studying how cognition changes with age. In my free time, I enjoy playing basketball, going on walks, and finding new music.

Hi! I am a current junior majoring in PNP on the Cognitive Neuroscience track with an Anthropology minor. I am particularly interested in studying how cognitive functions change throughout the lifespan. In my free time, I like reading, painting, and exploring St. Louis with friends!

My research focuses on the ability to maintain consistent focus on a moment-to-moment basis and how we can improve our measurement of this ability using combinations of behavioral and self-report data. Through the T32 training grant, I am expanded this work into the context of healthy aging and older adults who are at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Hello, there! I’m Anna Johnson, and I’m a second-year undergraduate student here at WashU. I’m studying on the pre-medical track with a major in French and a minor in psychology. As a first-generation student, I also proudly serve as a TRIO Student Ambassador within the WashU campus. My current academic interests in the lab lie in understanding how age influences prospective memory and cognitive behavior, particularly in clinical cases like Alzheimer’s. Outside of my studies, I’m Vice President of the WashU Russian Language & Culture Club as I also speak Russian.

I’m an avid traveler, however, in my leisure time, I enjoy walking nature trails, exploring new thrift shops around St. Louis, and learning new languages!

Maddie joined the lab in the Fall of 2023 after graduating from Claremont McKenna College in 2021 and working for two years in a cognitive neuroscience lab at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she investigated age-related differences in how individuals represent categories and how they use that knowledge to generalize to novel situations. Her overarching research focus is on how memory and other related cognitive processes change (or stay the same) with age. She is especially interested in investigating the cognitive control mechanisms that support prospective memory, understanding how these mechanisms change with age, and developing strategies to mitigate the effects.

Chris joined the lab in the Fall of 2023 after obtaining a master’s in Psychological Science from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where he completed his thesis on the intersection of prospective memory and mindfulness and worked as a Visiting Lecturer in Psychology. With a curiosity for understanding how individuals manage their attention, prioritize tasks, and execute intentions, Chris’ research interests center around the complexities of cognitive control and prospective memory processes and their impact on everyday life. He is currently interested in investigating the capacity to which individuals can strategically and willfully bias their attention in efforts to heighten their control. Beyond the realm of academia, Chris finds joy in a variety of personal pursuits, including running, cooking, disc golf, and spending cherished moments with his wife, Molly.

• Lia Abrams
• Isaac Bindert
• Rachel Brough
• Alex Cestari
• Mackenzie Glassner
• Megan Maxwell
• Lindsay Nobles
• Janelli Rodriguez
• Hannah Yoken
• Derek Zhou
• Caroline Moss
• Ceresa Munjak-Khoury
• Padma Doobay
• Airest Wilson
• Erin Wang
• Natasha Frontera
• Eva Jeliazkova
• Rebecca Lowen
• Logan Wetz
• Abdullah Youssouf
• Ally Ratner
• Aditya Sehgal
• Athena Nguyen

I am currently a junior majoring in PNP with a minor in linguistics. I am interested in studying cognitive control processes, cognitive control across tasks, and age-related changes in cognitive control. Outside of the lab, I like meditating, reading fiction, and creating recipes!

Lily is a current third-year student at Washington University in St. Louis. She is pursuing a double major in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, and French, with a minor in Psychology. Her current research interests are related to attention and memory. She plans to complete an MSW after graduation with intentions of becoming a therapist.

Hannah Chen is currently a first-year student here at WashU. She is on the pre-medical track, intending to major in Psychological Brain Sciences: Cognitive Neuroscience with a minor in Economics. She is currently interested in the cognitive control of memory and attention, especially the differences between younger and older adults.

Hi! I’m Aliza Lubitz and I am a sophomore in Arts & Sciences from Washington, DC. I am majoring in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology and minoring Writing. I am also enrolled in the Hallmarks of Cancer & Patient Care Ampersand Program and am fascinated by cancer biology and novel cancer therapies. In the lab, I am particularly intrigued by prospective memory and understanding the roles of attention and habit in commission errors. I am also interested in why older adults experience challenges with cognitive control at the “global level,” but maintain proficiency at the “item level.” My hobbies include making and admiring all kinds of art, having dance parties with friends, writing stories for fun, running, traveling/exploring new places, and lifting weights.

Hello! I am a senior studying Cognitive Neuroscience and minoring in Global Health. I like studying a lot of cognitive aspects of psychology, but I am particularly interested in attentional and emotional control. In my free time, I like to hang out with my cat, attempt to bake, and watch fun TV shows.

Hello! My name is Lily Creem, and I am currently a sophomore here at WashU. I am studying Psychological & Brain Sciences with a minor in Marketing. I love learning about the brain and cognitive processes, but my main interests lie in memory and neurodegenerative disorders. Outside of the lab, I love to read, listen to music, and explore new restaurants.