Congratulations to postdoc Mike Starrett Ambrose, who was appointed to the UCI Training in Translational ADRD Neuroscience (TITAN) T32 training grant. As a trainee funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Aging (NIA), Mike will learn about current models of and research into Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD) while also conducting independent ADRD research in the Spatial Neuroscience Lab.

Chrastil Lab publishes paper, “Understanding differences in wayfinding strategies,” in Topics in Cognitive Science (2021).

Authors: Hegarty, M., He, C., Boone, A. P., Yu, S., Jacobs, E. G., & Chrastil, E. R.

A couple of the lab members got into the Halloween spirit and carved some pumpkins in Aldrich Park over the weekend. The weather was perfect, and it was a lot of fun to have a small hangout with lots of pumpkins, delicious pumpkin pie, and Fall vibes.

Pictured (left to right): Lily, Vaisakh, Mike, Daniela, Alina.

It’s time to welcome all the newcomers to the lab!

Alina Tu worked in Dr. Chrastil’s lab as an undergrad RA and completed her senior honors thesis on the relationship between hippocampal subfield volumes and individual differences in navigation ability. Although she is not new to the lab, she’s now working in a new position as Lab Manager, managing 20+ RAs. Congrats, Alina!

Daniela Cossio transitioned from her Lab Manager position at the Medical University of South Carolina to her Ph.D. program here at UC Irvine to study aging, sex differences, and the mechanisms underlying spatial learning and memory. Her background with rodent models will definitely bring a unique perspective to our lab. Excited to have you here, Daniela!

Erica Ward is also a new Ph.D. student coming from CSU Fullerton through the Mathematical, Computational, and Systems Biology Program. She aims to use her computational and model-building skills to understand the neural processes behind human spatial ability. We’re supporting you, Erica!

Marjan Rashidi recently joined our lab from Iran University of Science and Technology with an MSc in Architectural Engineering. She now plans to research human decision-making behaviors in spatially complex environments at the Spatial Neuroscience Lab. You got it, Marjan!

Vaisakh Puthusseryppady, Ph.D. traveled from the UK after finishing his Ph.D. from the University of East Anglia, where he analyzed factors that contribute to spatial disorientation in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Now, he’ll be working with behavioral testing, neuroimaging, and VR to further understand spatial ability and AD risk. Looking forward to it, Vaisakh!

Rob and Bailey started as Lab Managers in 2019, when the Spatial Neuroscience Lab moved from UCSB to UCI. They established the lab’s foundation, spearheaded multiple research projects, and created a stimulating and inclusive environment for the lab to grow and thrive. With Bailey managing all of the RAs and Rob hosting weekly coding workshops, they’ve both made significant contributions to the lab’s organization and flow.

Thank you for these wonderful two years with the Spatial Neuroscience Lab. We wish you both the best of luck navigating graduate school!

Special congratulations to the Spatial Neuroscience Lab’s own, Alina Tu, for winning the Christian Freksa award for Best Presentation at Spatial Cognition!
Way to go!

The Spatial Neuroscience Lab would like to welcome our new Post Doctoral Scholar, Mike Starrett, Ph.D., to the lab! Mike joins us from the University of Arizona, and his research focuses on the cognitive and neural mechanisms that underly flexible human spatial cognition and navigation, as well as broad interests in human memory and attention across the lifespan.
Happy to have you join us, Mike!

Huge congratulations to the Spatial Neuroscience Lab’s own, Lily Cheng, for receiving the Roger W. Russell Award in the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory!

The award is given in memory of Dr. Roger W. Russell to recognize an individual who demonstrates dedication to exacting scholarship, integrity, collegiality, and steadfast support of the goals and programs of the CNLM. Lily will be honored at the upcoming virtual CNLM Awards Ceremony on May 18th, 2021.

Congratulations again, we are so proud of you!

Head to the Lab Resources tab on our webpage to view the link to our Spatial Neuroscience YouTube channel! (also linked below)

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5PJE8zgo0osotptr_a4bBQ/featured

Chrastil Lab publishes paper, “Age-related changes in spatial navigation are evident by midlife and differ by sex” in Psychological Science (2021).

Authors : Yu, S., Boone, A. P., He, C., Davis, R., Hegarty, M., Chrastil, E.R., & Jacobs, E.

*See link under publications tab!