People
Bradley Gibson, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
The ability to act in a goal-directed fashion in spite of many competing forces is one of the hallmarks of adaptive human functioning. My research has examined how basic cognitive mechanisms such as selective attention and working memory optimize this adaptive behavior by allowing us to focus on, maintain, and retrieve goal-relevant information. One longstanding research interest concerns the extent to which the control of visual selective attention is voluntary (or goal-directed), and the extent to which salient objects and events in the world (e.g., unique colors, abrupt onset of stimuli or events, moving objects) can distract or “capture” our attention in an involuntary fashion, regardless of our current goals and intentions. Humans also use a wide variety of spatial symbols, ranging from abstract spatial words such as “above,” to iconic symbols such as arrows, to biologically-based symbols such as eye gaze, to control where others shift their attention. A major goal of my research is to provide a semantic-based theory of the symbolic control of spatial attention. A key feature of this theory is to explain how the processes underlying the comprehension of spatial symbols influence the distribution of attention in space. I have also developed a significant translational aspect to my study of goal-directed behavior that has involved working memory. Because working memory capacity may causally constrain the capacity to reason and learn, there has been great interest in knowing the extent to which working memory capacity is malleable, and, therefore, capable of being increased by adaptive training regimens as a strategy to improve reasoning and learning. I have recently created a novel training regimen that is capable of targeting the critical components of working memory capacity, and current research is investigating the extent to which this training can produce detectable improvements in reasoning and learning. Finally, I have also studied special populations of individuals who have both enhanced (synesthetes) and deficient (ADHD) working memory abilities to help understand how these abilities impact adaptive functioning.
Jamie Trost, M.A.
Graduate Student, Lab Manager
Jamie Trost joined the AMP lab in the Fall of 2019. Jamie is a “double-Domer” who graduated from ND (class of 2015) with joint undergraduate degrees in Psychology and German. Prior to returning to Notre Dame, Jamie received a M.A. in Applied Behavioral Analysis and worked one-on-one with children and adults with ASD. Her research interests lie in understanding foundational and emerging models of attentional control and interoception. She uses mixed multilevel modeling to examine between- and within person- effects of top-down information, experience, and agency on performance and decision making in visual search while controlling for individual differences. In addition, she is acquiring expertise in advanced neuroscience methods (fMRI, EEG, TMS), aiming to investigate the neural basis of choice, agency, and volitional attention control in future research. By better understanding these concepts and their appropriate measurements, headway can be made in addressing deficits and maladaptive processing related to attention and decision-making.
Rebecca Warren, B.S.
Post-Bac Research Fellow
Rebecca Warren joined the AMP lab in July of 2023. Rebecca graduated from Texas A&M ( class of 2022) with an undergraduate degree in psychology. Her research interests lie in attention control mechanisms effect on agency and reward-based and self-based attentional biases. She chose to work in the Attention, Memory, and Perception lab at the University of Notre Dame because of their influential work that has been conducted on attention control and its influence on other cognitive processes. She knew that she could utilize her background in reward based experiential learning to conduct theoretically important research that examines other aspects of experience based attention control with the guidance of Dr. Gibson. During her year-long post-bac fellowship, she plans to continue gaining research experience and developing skills that will greatly benefit her future as a graduate student, such as learning several coding languages and the proper implementation of cutting edge quantitative methods. She plans to earn a Ph.D. in Cognition, Brain, and Behavior and become a professor that continues to develop the research on learning and attention control.
Mason Cohen
Class of 2026
Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Mason joined the AMP lab as a first-year given both his professional interest in the role of the nervous system in the field of medicine and his personal interest in conditions related to attention, sensation and perception such as ADHD and synesthesia. Following graduation, Mason hopes to attend medical school and continue his exploration of the connection between neuroscience processes which regulate the human body and the external world. In addition to AMP lab research, Mason works as a University Tour Guide, volunteers at Beacon Memorial Hospital, and likes to run around the campus lakes.
Erik Finch-Soto
Class of 2025
Hometown: San Tan Valley, AZ
Erik Finch-Soto first joined the AMP lab because of his longstanding interest in the mind, brain, and cognition. His interest in the AMP Lab stemmed from his experiences in vision research at the University of Michigan. Erik intends to apply to medical school after his undergraduate education focusing on primary care.
Tristan Galeon
Class of 2024
Hometown: Marion, IN
Tristan joined the AMP lab because of his interest in neuroscience, specifically processes in relation to perception and memory. Being in this lab gives him the opportunity to not only further his interest and understanding in the field of psychology and neuroscience but also gain invaluable skills and experiences that can aid him in his pursuit of a career in the medical field. In his free time, Tristan likes to play the piano and guitar, watch shows/movies with friends, cook, and practice martial arts.
Amir Khouzam
Class of 2025
Hometown: Memphis, TN
Amir Khouzam is a Neuroscience and Arabic double major, with a plan to pursue medical school after college. He loves being involved in research on campus, especially when it has to do with the mind, brain and cognition, which is why he joined the AMP lab. He is also a member of the God and the Good Life Fellows program, where he leads students in weekly philosophical dialogues. Amir is a member of the Student Government Department of Health and Wellbeing, working on projects related with mental and physical health on campus. Amir has also published work alongside the University of Tennessee Health Science Group regarding certain cardiac diseases such as atrial fibrillation and ventricular arrhythmias. He is also a member of Keough Hall, in which he plays guitar for the Keough Liturgical Choir. In his free time, Amir loves playing piano and guitar, cooking/experimenting in his kitchen, watching critically acclaimed movies, and shooting film photography!
Spencer Leatherberry
Class of 2025
Hometown: Carmel, CA
Spencer joined the AMP lab because of her interest in psychology, specifically in regards to the inner workings of attention, introspection, and visual processing. She has always been fascinated with how the brain works and how certain psychological processes present themselves externally. Being in this lab gives her the opportunity to both explore her passion for psychology as well as give her scientific and research-based experience with the internal. Introspection, attention, and visual processing, play a paramount role in everyday life, and she is excited to delve deeper into understanding processes hidden from the naked eye.
Sophia Lopez
Class of 2026
Hometown: Oklahoma City, OK
Sophia joined the AMP lab due to her interest in cognitive neuroscience, specifically the processes of attention and long term memory. She is eager to learn more about how perception influences these cognitions and each of their impact on behavior and decision making. Sophia is currently planning to apply to medical school after graduating from Notre Dame.
James Lynn
Class of 2025
Hometown: St. Louis, MO
James first joined the AMP lab because of his interest in the memory and learning. By working in the AMP Lab, he thought it would be interesting to use the scientific method to probe the intricate and subtle means by which attention, visual perception, and other cognitive processes interact and operate. James plans to apply to MD programs next summer.
Andrew Miller
Class of 2024
Hometown: Anniston, AL
Andrew is currently a senior from Anniston, Alabama majoring in Neuroscience & Behavior and minoring in theology. Andrew joined the AMP lab because of his passion for neuroscience and its implications in how we perceive the world around us. After graduation, Andrew plans on attending medical school.
Nicoletta Miner
Class of 2026
Hometown: Staten Island, NY
Nicoletta joined the AMP Lab because of her genuine interest in the complexity of the mind. During her senior year of high school, she conducted an independent study in which she performed a literary analysis that culminated in a thesis paper titled “The Complexity of ADHD: How Generalized Anxiety Disorder Affects Early Diagnosis and Treatment in Women.” She thought this lab would be the perfect continuation of her research. Nicoletta is a Science Preprofessional major and has plans to apply to medical school after graduation.
Nicole Pustilnik
Class of 2025
Hometown: San Diego, CA
Nicole joined the AMP Lab because, having ADHD herself, she thought it would be fascinating to study how the cognitive processes that are affected in her own brain impact the manner in which goal-directed behavior manifests in her. Becoming involved in the AMP lab meant she could gain more exposure to various scientific perspectives on cognitive mechanisms, as well as learn about the process behind the design and implementation of various experiments seeking to uncover answers to the purpose of such mechanisms. Nicole is also a member of the Notre Dame Fencing Team. Nicole spends her free time petting every dog she sees. After graduation, Nicole wants to apply to med school to pursue her hope of becoming a doctor.
Elle Strogilos
Class of 2025
Hometown: Schererville, IN
Elle first joined the AMP lab because of her longstanding interest in the mind, brain, and cognition. She is extremely interested in internal psychological processes present externally, especially in regards to attention. After graduation, Elle wants to work intelligence for the U.S. government. She spends her free time running, boxing, and hanging out with friends.
Emma Wagner
Class of 2024
Hometown: New Lenox, IL
Emma joined the AMP lab due to her desire to learn more deeply about the complex inner workings of the mind and the impact outside influences have on the manner in which we think and behave. Emma plans to apply to medical schools next year with the hope of becoming a dermatologist, and she believes the knowledge gained from this lab will provide a great advantage in her medical career.
Maggie Watson
Class of 2024
Hometown: Fishers, IN
Maggie Watson is a senior interested in a combination of the theoretical and the physical when it comes to life sciences. Aspiring to one day be a doctor, she finds value in research that develops an understanding of humanity and the whole person, and sees psychology research as fulfilling this purpose. She is majoring in English, Pre-Health, and minoring in Science, Tech, and Values, and will hopefully be attending medical school in two years, applying all that has been learned through research in the psych department.