My work uses multi-modal neuroimaging to grow our knowledge of the large-scale functional organization of the human brain, with the goal of better understanding how brain activity and connectivity dynamics relate to ongoing cognition. I am particularly interested in identifying the mechanisms underlying the control of brain dynamics, as well as how local anatomy and network connectivity interact to shape regional functional specialization. In collaborations with other members of the D'Esposito lab, I work to integrate existing knowledge about the neural basis of cognitive control and working memory with emerging insights from complex systems, network science, and machine learning.
Here are a few of the big picture questions I ask in my research:
- How does the brain flexibly reconfigure to support different types of cognition and behavior? How and why do individuals differ in their ability to control their thoughts?
- How do features of local anatomy and network connectivity contribute to regional specialization and shape brain function at multiple spatial and temporal scales?
- What is the impact of localized brain damage (e.g. stroke) on brain connectivity and dynamics? How do the consequences of this damage depend on the network properties of the damaged areas?
Before coming to Berkeley, I worked with Dr. Michael Milham at the Child Mind Institute. As an undergraduate, I studied cognitive neuroscience and philosophy of mind at the City University of New York, where I worked with Dr. Jennifer Mangels.
I am currently funded by a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) predoctoral fellowship from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. Prior to that, I was funded by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.