Fox Cities News

Four Lawrence University students are engaged in a research project led by Professor Chunyue Teng, focusing on cognitive neuroscience. The study aims to explore how individuals interact with visual stimuli and its impact on attention and memory.

The students involved in this research are Den Boakye from Ghana, Vivian Khan from Iowa, Fanta Jatta from Wisconsin, and Khayla Santiago from Illinois. They are working under the guidance of Professor Teng in the Vision, Memory, and Cognition (VMC) Lab. "We're particularly interested in visual short-term memory—visual working memory—the mental sketchpad where we briefly hold visual details," said Teng.

Professor Teng explained the significance of their research by using everyday scenarios such as driving or grocery shopping to illustrate how people switch between what they see and remember. "Interestingly, our brain uses the same areas for both seeing and remembering," she noted.

The research team utilizes EEG technology to gather data on brain activity. Their work has been presented at various conferences including the Society for Neuroscience Conference in Chicago and the Midwest Regional Neuroscience Conference in Green Bay. Santiago also shared findings at the Vision Sciences Society meeting in Florida.

Santiago highlighted her experience at these events: "I was able to interact with vision neuroscientists from all over the world." She added that these interactions have been valuable during her graduate school interviews.

Boakye emphasized how his experience contributes to his future academic pursuits: "I am eager to continue learning about the brain and its connections to all the other organs in our body."

Jatta expressed her commitment to neuroscience after losing her grandfather to a brain tumor: "Lawrence attracted me not only because of its strong neuroscience program... but also because of the positive experiences shared by my older brother."

Teng joined Lawrence University after completing postdoctoral research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her position is supported by an endowed professorship established through a gift from Dennis and Charlot Nelson '67 Singleton.

The ongoing research aims to provide insights that could improve educational techniques, computer interfaces, and support individuals with attention or memory difficulties. "By understanding these processes better, we hope to gain insights that could help improve everything from education techniques to computer interfaces," Teng stated.