People

MEET THE TALENTED TEAM BEHIND OUR LAB’S SUCCESS



DIRECTORS


Gabriele Gratton received his M.D. from University of Rome in 1980 and his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois in 1991. He is a professor in the Psychology Department and a full-time faculty member in the Beckman Institute Cognitive Neuroscience group. His field of interest is Cognitive Neuroscience. Gabriele Gratton's interests are in cognitive neuroscience, specifically in the basic organization (spatial, temporal, and functional) of elementary cognitive processes such as those involved in sensory and working memory, attention, motor preparation, and strategy selection. Gratton has been focusing on the application of functional brain imaging methods to the study of these processes in normal adult subjects using optical, electrophysiological and hemodynamic techniques.

 

View Illinois Experts Profile

Monica Fabiani received her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1990. She is a professor in the University of Illinois Department of Psychology and a full-time faculty member in the Beckman Institute Cognitive Neuroscience Group. Her fields of professional interest are cognitive neuroscience, memory, and aging. Monica Fabiani's research interests are in the cognitive neuroscience of human memory and aging, as well as in the development of tools for the non-invasive mapping of human brain function. Her research involves the integration of data from different domains, including behavioral responses, neuropsychological tests, and brain anatomy and function (event-related brain potentials, or ERPs; structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI; and optical imaging, including near infrared spectroscopy, or NIRS, and a new technique developed by Gabriele Gratton (CNS Group) and Fabiani, the event-related optical signals, or EROS).
View Illinois Experts Profile



SENIOR RESEARCH SCIENTISTS


I received my Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from New York University in 1983. I have 30 years of experience applying a variety of neuroimaging modalities including MEG, EEG/ERP, MRI/fMRI and rCBF to both basic and clinical questions. My role at the CNL is primarily to implement new procedures for running cognitive experiments and for collecting and analyzing neuroimaging data using EROS, NIRS, fMRI and evoked potentials. I also provide training, troubleshooting and consultation for visitors and collaborators.



LAB MANAGERS


I graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2022 with a B.S. in Brain and Cognitive Science. I am now furthering my studies here by pursuing a M.Eng in Bioengineering while working in the Cognitive Neuroimaging Lab. My responsibilities here at CNL include recruiting and scheduling participants, running optical imaging sessions, administering neuropsychological tests, and conducting MRI, EEG, and ERP recordings relating cerebrovascular health to cognitive decline throughout the lifespan.



POST DOCTORATES


I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Cognitive Neuroimaging Lab. I received a PhD in Psychology from the Jagiellonian University in Cracow, Poland (2022). My dissertation focused on the dynamic interactions between language experiences and cognitive control using behavioral (e.g., SEM) and EEG techniques. At CNL, I continue my work on the mechanisms of cognitive control. My current research involves two goals: 1) to better understand how aging affects cognitive control, and 2) to improve the methodology for studying aperiodic EEG activity.



GRADUATE STUDENTS


I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology (PNP) with a focus in cognitive neuroscience from Washington University in St. Louis. Here at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, my research revolves around investigating executive control mechanisms in the context of healthy aging through the application of behavioral and electroencephalography (EEG) techniques.

I received a bachelor degree in general psychology from East China Normal University before enrolling at University of Illinois. My research interest is about consciousness, like what is the mechanism of attention shift. I am now working on an EROS and TMS project about visual awareness.

I graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 2020. My experiences there introduced me to research and my interest in human cognition and aging memory. Here at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign I am a member of the Cognitive Neuroscience Lab where I am looking to continue my interests in aging memory as well as expand my knowledge to learn neurological networks and cerebrovascular changes with age that effect cognition.

I graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a BS in Psychology in May 2018. Previously, I have studied the underlying mechanisms of exercise-induced adult hippocampal neurogenesis in mice. Currently, I am expanding upon my previous research by studying the effects of aging and fitness on memory and the hippocampus in humans.

I graduated from Boston University in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in biology. As an undergraduate, I worked in labs studying the behavioral and neurological underpinnings of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Broadly, my research interests are in understanding the mechanisms of both healthy and diseased aging. At the CNL, I am particularly interested in understanding how different risk factors contribute to arterial stiffening and cognitive aging, using different neuroimaging techniques and neuropsychiatric tests.

I graduated from Wuhan University in 2021 with a B.S. in Psychology before joining the Ph.D. program at UIUC. I am interested in integrating different neuroimaging methods including optical imaging, magnetic resonance, and electroencephalography to investigate the dynamics of cognitive control and decision-making.

I graduated from Salisbury University in Maryland with a B.A. in Psychology in May 2018. Previously, I worked in Salisbury's Neuroscience Lab and Cognitive Aging Lab. Before I became a graduate student, I was a lab manager for the CNL's Cognitive Control grant. My current research interests explore the relationship between fitness, stress, and cognition throughout the lifespan with a focus on data collected via MRI.



COLLABORATORS




ALUMNI


Cognitive Neuroimaging Lab

405 North Mathews Avenue, Urbana, Illinois 61801

217-244-1619

cnl-subjects@illinois.edu