Members of the Spatial Neuroscience Lab presented their research at the 2024, 65th Annual Psychonomic Society (Psychonomics) Meeting!

Alina Tu – Evaluating the relationship between path integration tasks: Triangle Completion and Loop ClosureMarjan Rashidi – Cortical Thickness and Gray Matter Volume Supporting Object-Based and Egocentric Perspective TransformationsTaylor Le – Reinforcement Learning for Spatial Graph Knowledge through Explicit Predictions During Active versus Passive ExplorationDaisy Vargas – Local and Global Strategies for Navigational Learning

The lab publishes a new paper called “Do total hippocampus and hippocampal subfield volumes relate to navigation ability? A call towards methodological consistency”.

Tu, A., Krohn, N., Cooper, A.C., Puthusseryppady, V., McIntyre, C., & Chrastil, E.R. (2024). Do total hippocampus and hippocampal subfield volumes relate to navigation ability? A call towards methodological consistency. Cortex

See link to paper under publications tab!

The lab publishes a new paper called “Benefit of varying navigation strategies in robot teams”.

Mohaddesi, S.A., Hegarty, M., Chrastil, E.R., & Krichmar, J.L. (2024). Benefit of varying navigation strategies in robot teams. Conference paper, 17th International Conference on the Simulation of Adaptive Behavior. Lecture Notes in Computer Science 14993, 63-77, Eds. Brock & Krichmar

See link to paper under publications tab!

The lab publishes a new paper in Nature Neuroscience called “Neuroanatomical changes observed over the course of a human pregnancy”.

Authors: Pritschet, L., Taylor, C.M., Cossio, D., Santander, T., Grotzinger, H., Faskowitz, J., Handwerker, D.A., Layher, E., Chrastil, E.R.*, & Jacobs, E.G.* (* indicates co-senior and corresponding authors)

See link to paper under publications tab!

At the 46th Annual Cognitive Science Conference, Theo Kapogianis, a graduate student at the Spatial Neuroscience Lab, presented research on how we mentally navigate complex networks, without needing visual clues. Theo’s findings show that specific factors impact how well we process and navigate complex information, offering insights into how we understand and solve problems in everyday life. Nice job, Theo!

Vaisakh presents at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference with a study titled “Spatial Exploration Behavior – A Novel Cognitive Marker for Alzheimer’s Disease,” which explores how alterations in spatial exploration could serve as early indicators of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).

At this year’s Cognitive Science Conference, Theo Kapogianis presents his research on abstract graph learning, titled “Size and Community Structure Affect Abstract Graph Learning.”

We’re excited to officially welcome Alina Tu to the lab as a graduate student! After her incredible contribution as a research assistant and lab manager for the lab, she’s now taking the the next step in her academic journey. We can’t wait to see all the amazing work she’ll accomplish. Congratulations, Alina!

Our lab presents at the 2024 5th interdisciplinary Navigation Symposium (iNAV) in Merano, Italy!

Posters:
Alina Tu: Evaluating the relationship between path integration tasks: Triangle Completion and Loop Closure.

Daniela Cossio: Multimodal neuroimaging reveals differing brain structures underlying path integration in young and midlife adults.

Erica Ward: Brain Network Dynamics of Human Navigational Learning.

Talk:
Mike Starrett-Ambrose: Egocentric and allocentric relational processing in the human brain.

As the academic year comes to a close, we couldn’t be prouder of our undergraduate RAs – Daisy Vargas, Rosana Sabur, Chris Zhou, Olivia Cooper, Jill Li, and Luke Chi – for showcasing their incredible work at the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program symposium! Their dedication and hard work have shone through, and we can’t wait to see where their research journeys take them next. (Chris Zhou & Luke Chi, not pictured)

Daisy Vargus

Jill Li

Olivia Cooper

Rosana Sabur