Dr. Mariam Aly\, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Columb ia University.
How hippocampal memory shapes\, and is s haped by\, attention
Attention modulates what we see and remember. Memory affects what we attend to and perceive. Despite this connection in behavior\, little is known about the mechanisms that link att ention and memory in the brain. One key structure that may be at the interf ace between attention and memory is the hippocampus. Here\, I’ll explore th e hypothesis that the relational representations of the hippocampus allow i t to critically contribute to bidirectional interactions between attention and memory. First\, I’ll show — in a series of human fMRI studies — that at tention creates state-dependent patterns of activity in the hippocampus\, a nd that these representations predict both online attentional behavior and memory formation. Then\, I’ll provide neuropsychological evidence that hipp ocampal damage impairs performance on attention tasks that tax relational r epresentations\, particularly spatial relational representations. I will th en provide pharmacological evidence that hippocampal contributions to atten tion and perception may be mediated by cholinergic modulation — a switch th at can toggle the hippocampus between internally and externally oriented st ates. Finally\, I’ll demonstrate that hippocampal memories enable preparati on for upcoming attentional states and may help resolve competition between similar memories to guide attention. Together\, this line of work highligh ts the tight links between attention and memory — links that are establishe d\, at least in part\, by the hippocampus.
This colloqui um will take place over Zoom. Registration is required. RSVP to receive the Zoom link.< /p>
Dr. Mariam Aly is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psych ology at Columbia University. She studies the human mind and brain with a f ocus on the interplay between attention\, perception\, and memory.
Ho w are percepts transformed to memories\, and how do we use memory to guide perception and action? I study the mechanisms by which attention and percep tion allow us to remember the world around us\, and how — once we have form ed those memories — we can use them to guide our attention\, perception\, a nd goal-directed behavior in the future.
To address these questions\, I rely on multiple methods that together give us a holistic understanding of behavior and the brain. These methods include behavioral studies of heal thy young individuals\, behavioral studies of healthy older adults\, studie s of patients with brain lesions (e.g.\, as a result of epilepsy\, stroke\, hypoxia\, tumors)\, and high-resolution functional neuroimaging (fMRI) wit h advanced multi-voxel pattern analysis and functional connectivity techniq ues. These methods have allowed me to answer questions such as: what is the role of “memory systems”\, like the hippocampus\, in perception? How does attention modulate the hippocampus\, and how does that affect what we remem ber later on? How does the brain learn and remember temporal structure in t he world\, and how does it use that structure to generate predictions about the future? Together\, my research helps elucidate the multifaceted and in herently interactive nature of cognition\, bringing us closer to understand ing the whole of the mind and brain as well as its parts.
Annua lly the Department of Psychology hosts a Colloquia Series throughout the academic year. This exciting program brings us together outside of the classroom to have conve rsations with the speakers we’ve invited to our campus to share their ideas . You’ll have the chance to hear from international speakers on a wide rang e of provocative topics.
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