Research Interests
In my lab we focus on research issues relating to clinical neuropsychology. In this field of study, we attempt to understand higher level cognitive processes (like attention, memory, speeded information processing, etc.) in the brain, particularly in individuals with neurological diseases. We have two broad lines of research that we have pursued here. One pertains to neuropsychological aspects of multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a disorder of the central nervous system that results in the destruction of the white matter (in particular, the myelin) in the brain. This destruction is thought to occur through some autoimmune process but the mechanism underlying that process is currently not well understood. MS typically strikes people in their 20's and 30's, just as they are starting their careers/families, and patients typically live many years with their symptoms, so it is a particularly devastating disease. It affects women more than men by about a 2:1 ratio, is more common in geographical regions farther away from the equator, and tends to differentially affect individuals of Western/Northern European ancestry.