Overview
My research focuses on the computational and neural mechanisms of cognitive control, the use of internal goals to guide behavior. This involves understanding how people configure and focus on a current task, and how they switch from one task to another. We study these processes using behavioral experiments as well as computational modeling, neuroimaging, and neurostimulation techniques.
Current Duke Appointments & Affiliations
Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience
·
2020 - Present
Psychology & Neuroscience,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Chair of Psychology and Neuroscience
·
2024 - Present
Psychology & Neuroscience,
Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Investigator in the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences
·
2009 - Present
Duke Institute for Brain Sciences,
University Institutes and Centers
Member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience
·
2009 - Present
Center for Cognitive Neuroscience,
Duke Institute for Brain Sciences
Affiliate of the Center for Brain Imaging and Analysis
·
2010 - Present
Duke-UNC Brain Imaging and Analysis Center,
Institutes and Centers
Associate of the Duke Initiative for Science & Society
·
2017 - Present
Duke Science & Society,
University Initiatives & Academic Support Units
Recent Scholarly Works
Insights into the neural mechanisms supporting cognitive stability and flexibility from human intracranial electroencephalography.
Journal article Neurosci Biobehav Rev · October 2026 Cognitive control is the ability to direct behavior based on internal goals. Two core capacities of cognitive control are focusing attention on task-relevant stimuli while ignoring distracters (cognitive stability) and shifting between different goals/rule ... Full text Link to item CiteDomain-specific cognitive flexibility: Shift-readiness adaptations for task- and attention-switching are non-transferrable.
Journal article Quarterly journal of experimental psychology (2006) · June 2026 Adaptive behavior in the real world involves navigating competing goals in a constantly changing environment. Doing so requires cognitive flexibility across multiple domains, including flexibility for switching between tasks, that is, activating the approp ... Full text CiteVisual working memory for real-world objects is resistant to visual but vulnerable to semantic interference.
Journal article Journal of experimental psychology. General · June 2026 Visual working memory has greater capacity for maintaining meaningful objects than simple stimuli. This has been attributed to real-world object representations' higher dimensionality protecting their visual features from interference by those of other obj ... Full text CiteRecent Grants
Duke-NCCU Interdisciplinary Postdoctoral Training Program in Child Psychiatric and Neurodevelopmental Conditions Program (DN-IPT)
Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Institute of Mental Health · 2024 - 2029Neurocognitive mechanisms of control over cognitive stability and flexibility
ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Mental Health · 2023 - 2028Mechanisms Regulating Complex Social Behavior
ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by University of Pennsylvania · 2016 - 2027View All Grants
Education
University of London (United Kingdom) ·
2002
Ph.D.
University of London (United Kingdom) ·
1999
B.S.