Top (left to right): Jill, Tina, Rosana, Mike, Alina, Luke, Eric
Middle (left to right): Tiffany, Erica, Vaisakh, Nick, Taylor
Bottom (left to right): Liz, Marian, Daniela, Nikki, Manavi, Julia
Top (left to right): Liz, Lily, Daniela, Mike, Erica, Alina. Bottom (left to right): Olivia, Nikki, Theo, Vaisakh
Top (left to right): Nick, Dane, Luke, Vicky, Ivy. Below them (left to right): Marjan, Alina, Taylor. Below them (left to right): Vaisakh, Mike, Theo. Below them (left to right): Erica, Ashley, Jezaree. Bottom (left to right): Liz, Daniela, Lily, Nikki. Many more Zoom folks as well!
Principal Investigator
Liz Chrastil, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
School of Biological Sciences
Email: chrastil@uci.edu
Phone: (949)-824-6267
CV
I am an Associate Professor at the University of California, Irvine in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior. I use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate the neural correlates of human spatial memory.
I study human path integration, spatial memory, and large-scale navigation in complex environments. I have conducted experiments using both fully immersive virtual reality and fMRI to understand how humans process self-motion information when navigating without landmarks. I have found that brain regions such as the hippocampus, retrosplenial cortex, and parahippocampal cortex track important properties needed for navigating in these sparse environments. Applying those same techniques to landmark-based navigation, I have investigated how active and passive navigation affect learning a new environment. In particular, I am interested in how proprioceptive input, vestibular information, decision-making, and attention contribute to learning different types of spatial knowledge. In addition to the differential contribution of these aspects of spatial learning, I have found large individual differences in navigational abilities. My research examines the relationship between performance and brain function, looking at both brain structure and fMRI activation across individuals.
I received my Ph.D. in 2012 from Brown University, working with Dr. William Warren and did my postdoctoral work at Boston University working with Dr. Chantal Stern. I received an M.S. in Biology from Tufts University and a B.A. from Washington University in St. Louis. When I’m not getting people lost in hedgemazes, I like to hike, dance, and travel. I usually carry the map, since I’m a professional.
Postdoctoral Scholars
Mike Starrett Ambrose, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
Email: m.j.starrett@uci.edu
Personal Website
I am a Postdoctoral Scholar at the University of California, Irvine in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior. My research focuses on the cognitive and neural mechanisms that underly flexible human spatial cognition and navigation, and I am broadly interested in human memory and attention across the lifespan. My work combines behavioral tasks with both immersive virtual reality and functional neuroimaging (fMRI). Some of the questions I am exploring include: (1) How spatial representations change and evolve across repeated learning experiences? (2) How egocentric and allocentric spatial reference frames interact and integrate depending on the information available, and which brain regions or networks support these processes? (3) What is the underlying structure of spatial knowledge and how might mechanisms involved in aims (1) and (2) affect that structure?
I received my Ph.D. in Psychology with a minor in Cognitive Science in 2021 from the University of Arizona working with Dr. Arne Ekstrom. I began my doctoral training with Dr. Ekstrom at the University of California, Davis and obtained my M.A. in Psychology prior to transferring to the University of Arizona. I completed my B.A. in Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where I also worked as a research assistant and lab manager for Dr. Brad Postle. In my free time, I enjoy biking, craft beer, coffee, and especially biking to craft beer or coffee. Everything is better when I’m with my wife Kimmy and our two dogs Pepper PhD and Monterey.
Vaisakh Puthusseryppady, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Scholar
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
Email: vputhuss@uci.edu
I am a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, at the University of California Irvine. My research in Prof. Chrastil’s lab is focused on investigating the relationship between spatial navigation and Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). The research questions I am interested in exploring are (1) Can we predict which individuals are at a high risk for AD from their navigational abilities? and (2) Can an individual’s risk for AD be reduced through spatial navigation training? To answer these questions, my work will utilize behavioral testing, neuroimaging (fMRI), and immersive virtual reality.
I received my Ph.D. from the University of East Anglia (UK), under the supervision of Prof. Michael Hornberger. My Ph.D. thesis was investigating the role that spatial navigation impairments and built features of the outdoor environment play in contributing to spatial disorientation in AD. Prior to my Ph.D., I received an MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience from King’s College London (UK) and a BSc (Hons) in Anatomical Sciences from the University of Dundee (UK). I also spent a year working as a Research Assistant in Prof. Michael Chee’s Sleep and Cognition Lab, DUKE-NUS Medical School (Singapore). Before joining the Chrastil lab, I spent 6 months working as a Research Associate in Prof. Eneida Mioshi’s lab at the University of East Anglia.
Outside of the lab, I enjoy running, hiking, and watching movies. I am also an avid fan of watching sports, especially football (soccer) and cricket.
Graduate Students
Daniela Cossio
Graduate Student
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
Email: dcossio1@uci.edu
I am a Ph.D. student in the Neurobiology and Behavior department at UC Irvine. I received my B.A. in Neuroscience from Skidmore College in 2014. I worked as a lab manager for two years at the Medical University of South Carolina. I have a broad interest in understanding the mechanisms that underly learning and memory. I’m particularly interested in how natural aging and sex differences contribute to individual differences in spatial learning in humans. In the future, I hope to combine my previous years of experience in neuroscience using rodent models with my graduate training in human neuroscience to bridge the translational gap between rodent and human literature. Beyond the scope of research, I have a strong passion for outreach and mentorship. As a Mexican American and first-generation student, I hope to create opportunities and support for systematically excluded students to become successful scientists.
Outside of science, I love to garden, hike, try new restaurants, and spend time with my partner in crime, Matt, and our wild dog, Dash. Since moving to California, I have also started scuba diving and am open to meeting more scientists who scuba dive in the future.
Erica Ward
Graduate Student
Center For Complex Biological Systems
Email: emward1@uci.edu
I’m a Ph.D. student in the Mathematical, Computational, and Systems Biology (MCSB) program here at UC Irvine. I earned my B.A. in Applied Mathematics (with an emphasis in computation and model-building) at CSU Fullerton, where I completed my senior thesis on the surface tension-induced encapsulation of a droplet. My background in research features a variety of topics like bifurcation analysis, control theory, computational simulations of multiple physical systems, and extensive data analysis.
Growing up, however, I’ve always had an innate interest in psychology and cognition. I’ve wondered: How exactly do we learn, process, and recall information? Why do humans behave the way that we do? Combining the use of fully-immersive VR and fMRI with my skills in computation and analysis makes me excited to explore the neural processes behind spatial navigation, which will help reveal the unknown intricacies of the human brain.
Marjan Rashidi
Graduate Student
Department of Cognitive Sciences
Email: fatemer@uci.edu
I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. I received my MSc in Architectural Engineering at the Iran University of Science and Technology in 2019, and I completed my thesis on the relationship between human navigation behaviors and environmental variables using space syntax techniques and neural network simulation. I investigated how the spatial configuration of an environment might shape human decision-making behaviors in complex environments.
For my future work, I am interested in understanding the relationship between different spatial abilities and the neural and behavioral mechanisms underlying these abilities. I am also interested in investigating the effects of stress and spatial anxiety on human navigation strategy selection in social contexts. More specifically, by conducting virtual reality experiments, I want to investigate how stress and anxiety might make people switch between different navigation strategies in social environments with various social cues.
Theo Kapogianis
Graduate Student
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior
Email: tkapogia@uci.edu
I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at UC Irvine. I completed my undergrad at UC San Diego, earning my B.S. in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience. In my senior year, I wrote my Honor’s thesis on the role of interneurons within Dentate Gyrus during pattern separation using in-vivo electrophysiology in the Rangel Lab. After, I spent a year in the Oesch Lab as a lab manager exploring electrical stimulation thresholds of retinal ganglion cells using ex-vivo electrophysiology. While my interests are broad, I find myself drawn to examining how the neural representations and dynamics of learning processes change over time. I hope to use my prior experience in rodent work to guide and direct my current and future research into non-spatial navigational learning processes in humans.
Beyond my research, I thoroughly enjoy being outdoors and living an active lifestyle. Hiking, camping, slacklining, snowboarding, etc. As well as giving back to my community by mentoring young men trying to get sober.
Tiffany Raber
Graduate Student
Department of Cognitive Sciences
Email: traber@uci.edu
I am a Ph.D. student in the Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine. I received my MS in Biomedical Visualization at the University of Illinois, Chicago in 2017. As an artist and scientist, I completed my thesis on how interactive applications and three-dimensional visualization can aid in the identification of anatomical variances in MRI. While at UIC, I developed a strong interest in virtual reality and later, human spatial cognition and navigation as a researcher at the Army Research Laboratory located in collaboration with the Institute for Creative Technologies.
For my future work, I am interested in understanding how people navigate and make decisions in virtual and augmented reality systems. Supporting interests include individual differences within navigational techniques, navigational learning, and human path integration. In my free time I enjoy continuing my practice of traditional and digital art, reading, being outdoors, and spending as much time as possible with my three gray kitties.
Lab Managers
Nikki Hatamian
Lab Manager
Email: nhatamia@uci.edu
I have a B.S. in Computational Cognitive Sciences from UC Irvine, where I wrote my undergraduate thesis on subcortical brain atrophy of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and Type 2 diabetes. My areas of research interests and education primarily lie within brain dysfunction and neurodegenerative disorders. I am interested in learning about the operations and clinical aspects of virtual reality in relation to spatial function as well as the brain’s underlying processes in regards to spatial awareness. I am also interested in learning how the utilization of virtual reality can apply to mental disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease and depression. In terms of future goals, I am pursuing a Ph.D. in neuroscience or neuropsychology.
Taylor Le
Lab Manager
Email: taylorl3@uci.edu
I received my B.S. in Human Biology from UC Irvine in 2023. In 2021, I joined Dr. Chrastil’s Spatial Neuroscience Lab, where I quickly became interested in using VR and related technologies to study human navigational ability. My research interests include understanding individual differences in navigational learning and exploring how mechanisms of reinforcement learning may assist in the overall encoding and contribution towards spatial graph knowledge. I find the combination of immersive virtual reality and cutting-edge technologies in studying neuroscience fascinating, and I hope to use the skills and experiences I gain here to pursue an industry career in the technology sector in the future. Outside the lab, I enjoy going on walks, exploring new places to eat and drink, and taking pictures.
Nick Krohn
Lab Manager
Email: krohnn@uci.edu
I completed my B.S. in Neurobiology and minor in Pyschological Science at UC Irvine in 2023. My research interests involved exploring how individual differences in navigation can be related to brain structure through neuroimaging. In my time in the lab I have looked at the medial temporal lobe region volumes and white matter structure. For my senior project I examined how white matter structure in the limbic system related to performance on a virtual reality path integration task. In the future, I hope to explore brain structure as it relates to navigational performance in our ongoing IndivRobotics study. As far as career goals, I wish to pursue a Ph.D. in biostatistics. In my free time, I like to watch sports (mainly basketball) and run.
Research Assistants
Jasmine Benepal
Aston Chen
Cassidy Cheng
Luke Chi
Olivia Cooper
Lillia Edalat
Madeline Dyer
Nada Eldin
Adarsh Ganeshram
Tina Hendi
Muhanad Hilal
Brandon Huang
Irisa Huang
Claire Illeck
Lovni Kaushik
Nikhita Kaushik
Jill Li
Wendy Lou
Isabel Michaelides
Sophia Polozova
Kian Saadat
Rosana Sabur
Manavi Sharma
Julia Tran
Daisy Vargas
Jingjing Wang
Chris Zhou
Lab Alumni
2023
RAs: Wesley Chin, Amanda Chau-Le, Annie Tran, Janelle Murphy, Aida Fakry, Dain Kang, Grace Bianchi, Tai Donnell-Louis, Jonathan Chi, Charvi Magam, Alejandra Reyes, Farnaz Rezwana, Arshia Sista, Ivy Tian, Ei Thu, Sahil Vaidya, Anvika Vudutha, Quinn Tran, Alayah Solomon, Volker Salinas, Julia Malakar, Kendyl Laumann, Marie Karpinska, Piper Yohman, Satvik Sharma, Saachi Shah, Parisha Khaja, Saba Firouzabadi, Rufus Banks, Yian Wong,
2022
Graduate student: You (Lily) Cheng (currently a postdoc fellow under Dr. Sudeshna Das at Harvard Medical School)
RAs: Sundas Shaikh, Morgan Skinner, Heritage Mgbam, Ivana Rakic, Sunny Sun, Amir Abarham, Tiancheng Dong, Ashley Yuen, Dane Weeks, Martin Alberto Nunez-Rivera, Jezaree Go, Vicky Rao (lead RA 2021-2022), Sabrina Do (lead RA 2021-2022), Angel Lai, Tim Kwok, Noushig Boyajian, Darshani Kannan, Saanvi Nadipalli, Sai Kotapati, Cristabel Portillo
2021
Lab managers: Robert Woodry (2019-2021), Bailey Tranquada-Torres (2019-2021)
RAs: Andre Yee (lead RA 2020-2021), Ramya Ramakrishnan, Sumneet Kaur Sangha, Caitlin McIntyre, Quincy Cao
2019
Graduate student: Justin Kasowski (currently continuing his Ph.D. studies under professor Michael Beyeler at UCSB)
RAs: Rie Davis, Grace Nicora, Zoe Rathbun, Courtney Shafer, Pavia Omolewa, Nicholas Stefanko
