Shimamura
Lab: Description
Research
Program
in Cognitive Neuroscience
What did you do last
weekend? The Shimamura Lab
investigates
the neural bases of human learning and memory. Toward this goal, we
develop memory tasks that tap
aspects
of learning, retention, and retreival.
Healthy young adults volunteer act as subjects for these
experiments. We also apply
brain imaging
techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance
imaging (fMRI),
as a way to analyze the brain areas that are active
during memory
tasks. A third method is to study individuals with memory problem associated with aging or brain
injury to determine the ways in which aspects of memory are disrupted. With these methods, we develop theories about the
neural
dynamics of human memory.
In our research, we have found that a network of brain regions,
which includes the prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and parietal cortex, is
active when we record, store, and ultimately recollect past events in
our lives. A prominent goal of our
research program
is to understand how these brain regions coordinate
neural activity and guide our ability to learn and remember.
Specific
Research
Interests
