Professional Bio

Research Interests:

I am interested in the effects of aging on episodic memory using both behavioral and neuroimaging (fMRI) methods. Regarding neuroimaging, my lab utilizes univariate, multivariate (pattern classification, representational similarity analyses), functional connectivity, and structural analytical approaches in our investigation of encoding and retrieval processes underlying memory performance. An emphasis is placed on understanding the cognitive and neural processes underlying false memories and associative memories. With respect to cognitive aging, my research examines neural markers of age-related cognitive decline, as well as mechanisms supporting neural compensation. Other lines of research pursued within the lab include cognitive training, cognitive control, and statistical learning.

Representative publications:

Dennis, N. A., & Overman, A. A., Gerver, C. R., McGraw, K., Rowley, M. A., & Salerno, J. M. (2019). Different types of associative encoding evoke differential processing in both younger and older adults: evidence from univariate and multivariate analyses. Neuropsychologia, 135.

Bowman, C. R., Chamberlain, J. D., & Dennis, N. A. (2019). Sensory representations supporting memory specificity: Age effects on behavioral and neural discriminability. Journal of Neuroscience, 39(12), 2265-22

Webb, C. E. & Dennis, N. A. (2018). Differentiating true and false schematic memories in older adults. Journals of Gerontology: Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. 74(7):1111-1120.

Dennis, N.A. & Turney, I.C. (2018). The influence of perceptual similarity and individual differences on false memories in aging. Neurobiology of Aging. 62, 221-230.

Dennis, N.A., Turney, I.C., Webb, C.E., & Overman, A.A. (2015). The effects of item familiarity on the neural correlates of successful associative memory encoding. Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience, 15, 889-900.

Dennis, N.A., Bowman, C.R., & Peterson, K.P. (2014). Age-related differences in the neural correlates mediating false recollection. Neurobiology of Aging, 35(2): 395-407.