UROP Project | Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement

memory, neuromodulation, imagination, attention, eye-tracking, fMRI, behavior, brain stimulation

Research Mentor: Molly Hermiller, she/her
Department, College, Affiliation: Psychology, Arts and Sciences
Contact Email: mhermiller@fsu.edu
Research Assistant Supervisor (if different from mentor): Marissa Munroe
Research Assistant Supervisor Email: mam20jz@fsu.edu
Faculty Collaborators:
Faculty Collaborators Email:

Looking for Research Assistants: No
Number of Research Assistants: 6
Relevant Majors: Psychology
Neuroscience
Project Location: On FSU Main Campus
Research Assistant Transportation Required:
Remote or In-person: In-person
Approximate Weekly Hours: 9,
Roundtable Times and Zoom Link: Thursday, Sept. 5th from 1:00pm-1:30pm (https://youtu.be/_0b2s7x-ncw -- Recorded Video)

Project Description

The Hermiller Lab studies long-term episodic/autobiographical memory processes - the cognitive process that allows us to mentally travel back in time to recall our prior experiences. We use neuroimaging (fMRI) to measure the brain while it's performing memory, noninvasive brain stimulation (TMS) to modulate the memory networks, and measure behavior (memory tasks, eye-tracking). We have several projects with specific aspects that UROP students may lead, including:
- What is the relationship between imagination vividness and memory performance?
- What is the relationship between attention and hyper-vigilance (PTSD vs. healthy control population), and their interactions with memory performance?
- Can we use brain stimulation to differently target social-based memories vs. spatial memories?
- What is the nature of false memories?
- How do patterns of eye movements relate to memory formation and retrieval?
- How does physical movement (e.g., walking versus standing) affect our ability to form memories?

Research Tasks: - literature review
- participant recruitment, screening, and scheduling
- data collection (fMRI, brain stimulation, behavioral assessments)
- data management
- data analyses
- lab meeting presentations
- coding tasks and analyses

Skills that research assistant(s) may need: We will teach you the specific methods pertaining to data collection in our lab.

We do require the following skills:
- professional
- open to learn
- teamwork
- ability to identify where you need extra training/help

Mentoring Philosophy

As the PI of the Hermiller Lab, I meet with my students regularly to identify their individual skills, their future goals, and their current struggles, in order to create a plan of action for them to develop and succeed. I believe that science requires active learning, taking on challenges, learning from mistakes, and persistent inquiry. Science is a rewarding and humbling process that leads to better understanding of ourselves and our world. To be successful, it requires researchers at all stages (from PI to undergraduate research assistants) to actively engage with the learning process with humility and attention to detail. These are values that I aim to instill and demonstrate for my mentees. I strive to create a positive, productive, and supportive lab environment, and in return, expect that members of the lab will contribute in a positive, productive, and supportive manner.

Additional Information

Link to Publications

https://www.hermillerlab.org/

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