I study how bodily rhythms structure the neural dynamics of human cognition.

Rhythms of Cognition

The human brain accomplishes something we rarely pause to appreciate: it supports a wide range of cognitive functions including perception, attention, memory and speech, within a single, limited neural system. How does the brain coordinate neural computation in time to support these functions? My research suggests one solution is to align neural activity with bodily rhythms, such as eye movements, breathing, and the heartbeat. I have found that each shift in gaze is accompanied by a spatially structured neural response that underlie memory encoding.

Bodily rhythms carry information about when sensory input is likely to arrive and when internal states are likely to change, providing the brain with a reliable temporal scaffold for organizing computation. Combining human electrophysiology with eye-tracking, I aim to characterize how neural dynamics coordinate with bodily rhythms and how this coordination shapes human cognition.

Neurotechnology for cognitive health

Cognitive dysfunction in aging and acquired brain injury is an increasingly urgent challenge as the population ages. Building on my research into how brain-body coordination shapes cognition, I pursue two complementary translational strategies: (1) neuromodulation to preserve and restore function by engaging existing neural circuitry and (2) brain-computer interface (BCI) to decode, supplement, or replace neural processing for cognition. Toward these goals, I develop computational methods that dissociate neural patterns underlying cognitive processes to support brain computer interface compensating or replacement of impaired function; and study mechanisms of action of several neural stimulation, including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), transcutaneous auricular vagus nerve stimulation (taVNS), and low-intensity focused ultrasound. These efforts define what, when and how to interface with the brain for cognitive health.