BACKGROUND

I am a cognitive psychologist and neuroscientist who studies life span development of human timing and temporal processing and its neural underpinnings. My research is funded in part by the National Institutes of Health . My overall research program and its significance are described below.

TEMPORAL PROCESSING IN HUMANS AND OTHER ANIMALS

Humans and other animals are remarkably sensitive to the timing of events in their surroundings. The broad aims of my research program are (1) to advance basic understanding of the neural machinery that animals use to mentally ‘time' the duration of auditory and visual events and to coordinate the timing of their perceptions (e.g., what they see and hear) with their actions, and (2) to apply this knowledge to the assessment and treatment of individuals with developmental disorders and age-related neurological diseases that evidence timing difficulties.

My research program involves multiple methodologies. First, I design and conduct behavioral experiments with human subjects to determine constraints on the functional mechanisms involved in temporal processing and to determine the normal developmental changes that occur in timing ability across the lifespan. Second, I use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of the human brain in order to identify brain regions involved in temporal processing and to better characterize individual differences in timing ability. Third, I conduct lesion studies with rats to more directly investigate the neural circuitry underpinning accurate timing performance. Finally, I develop and test mathematical models, which provide a valuable theoretical framework to guide further research.

The basic research conducted in my lab has helped advance understanding of the brain areas involved in timing and the nature of the neural mechanisms that humans use to perceive, learn, and recall the duration, tempo (rate), and rhythm of auditory and visual events. Moreover, this research has shown that when individuals learn about the temporal characteristics of their surroundings, they use this information to guide attending. Through our studies of life span development, we have gained a much better understanding of normal developmental profiles for a range of basic timing skills that are important for everyday life.