Arielle Tambini, PhD

After new information is encoded into memory, specific neural mechanisms (e.g., memory reactivation and large-scale hippocampal-cortical interactions) are thought to play a key role in creating durable memory representations. My research seeks to understand the role of post-encoding processes and how they relate to the formation of long-lasting memories in the human brain. For example, what kinds of awake brain states or time periods support memory reactivation and memory retention? How do memory consolidation mechanisms potentially interact across brain states (e.g., wakefulness and sleep)? How can interventions (such as Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, TMS, and Targeted Memory Reactivation, TMR) be used to causally influence consolidation and other aspects of memory function? I use a multi-modal approach to examine these questions, including a combination of behavioral experiments, functional brain imaging (fMRI, EEG), neurostimulation (TMS), and external behavioral manipulations (e.g., TMR).