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

Congratulations to Rosana Sabur for being the 2024 recipient of the Jame Tait Goodrich Award for Excellence in Neurobiology in Honor of James McGaugh! This award, established to recognize exceptional achievement in neurobiology research, honors two outstanding undergraduates completing their 3rd year. Well-deserved, Rosana!

Our lab uses Virtual Reality (VR) to specifically test spatial navigation abilities in controlled and novel environments. Navigating through virtual environments allows us as researchers to balance experimental control with ecological validity, resulting in meaningful data that can reflect real-world behavior and actions. VR enables us to create temporally extended tasks, examine reactions and effects contingent on behavior, and access different data types/avatars. These applications extend beyond spatial navigation research and can serve as valuable tools in designing experimental tasks.

Members of the Spatial Neuroscience Lab recently hosted an in-person workshop for approximately 15 attendees from interdisciplinary fields such as Engineering and Computer Science. The workshop covered VR uses and applications, provided an introduction to the Unity Game Engine, guided participants in creating an interactive obstacle course in Unity, examined a framework for designing experimental tasks (Landmarks), and culminated in the creation of a simple task using Landmarks. Attendees enjoyed the workshop and left with new knowledge about how they might incorporate Unity and VR into their research.

We extend our thanks to the presenters (Liz C., Vaisakh P., Mike S.A., Tiffany R., Taylor L., Jingjing W., Daisy V., Ying W.) for organizing and planning the event. We look forward to hosting a similar event next year!

VR Resources & Materials in this Google Drive Link