My research focuses broadly on studying the neural bases of human deductive reasoning. More specifically, I am interested in understanding how automatic processes can interfere with logical reasoning processes in the human brain. One part of my thesis aims to investigate how perceptual features can influence conditional reasoning (e.g. when there are perceptual mismatches between a rule like If there is not a T then there is not a circle and a test item like H-in-a-square ) . Another part of my work focuses on demonstrating that transitive reasoning problems ( Peter is older than Bob; Bob is older than Tom; therefore Peter is older than Tom ) are solved thanks to the automatic activation of a spatially oriented 'mental line'. To study these phenomena, I use both behavioral (reaction times, accuracy) and neuroimaging (fMRI, EEG) techniques.   

My interests are in the limitations of human perception and performance, specifically, the limitations of attention and how attention is located to multiple tasks, objects, or locations. I am also interested in questions concerning perception and memory, and how attention interacts with these processes. I use converging methods (behavioral and fMRI) in my research and hope to learn new cognitive research methods as a graduate student at Michigan.

I am broadly interested in studying the link between conflict/ performance monitoring and cognitive control. Currently I am studying the effect of response conflict on voluntary choice behavior. Additionally, I am interested in exploring the stages of processing where conflict is generated, and determining the effect the stage of processing has on control processes.

I'm broadly interested in cognitive control. Particular interests include, but are not limited to, performance monitoring, conflict adaptation, and spatial attention. I'm especially interested in correspondences between brain activity and behavior at the single-trial level. Methodologically, I'm principally interested in EEG: in addition to conventional ERP averaging, I hope to make use of steady-state potentials, time-frequency analyses, and measures of connectivity like coherence and mutual information. I also plan to use fMRI and computational modeling.