Nathan Ward – Principal Investigator

Dr. Ward’s research is focused on understanding and improving the ability to manage multiple streams of information (i.e., multitasking) both in the lab and in real-world settings. His work aims to unpack the cognitive mechanisms that support multitasking, such as task switching and dual tasking, as well as to understand whether these and other mechanisms are differentially engaged across the lifespan. To this end, he uses several approaches, ranging from simulated environments to speeded response times, in order to assess real-time multitasking performance in younger and older adults. He also relies on interventions like cognitive training, exercise, and low-current brain stimulation to modulate how people multitask under a variety of scenarios. Dr. Ward can be reached at: nathan.ward@tufts.edu

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Erika Hussey – Research Scientist

Dr. Hussey is a program manager at the Defense Innovation Unit, where she implements projects focused on cognitive performance optimization across the Armed Services. Prior to this, she was a cognitive scientist at the US Army’s CCDC Soldier Center and the Tufts Center for Applied Brain and Cognitive Sciences. She is interested in translational science that applies neurocognitive principles to improve how active duty military members perform and train.

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 Eduardo Fontes – Visiting Scholar

Dr. Fontes is a visiting scholar from Brazil. Using different neurological techniques, such as transcranial electrical stimulation, EEG, NIRS and MRI, he has been investigating the role of cognition when regulating physical exercise. His research has been applied to clinical populations, such as drug abusers, obese children, and older adults, as well as healthy individuals and athletes.

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Thomas Wooten – Graduate Student

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Kayla Sansevere – Graduate Student

Kayla is a third year Ph.D. student in the Department of Psychology. Kayla earned a BA in Psychology from Arcadia University in 2020. As an undergraduate, Kayla immersed herself in research experiences within various disciplines throughout her undergraduate university and external research facilities and hospitals. Most notably, she was a NSF-sponsored research fellow at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and studied the relationship between executive functions and risky driving behaviors in young drivers. Kayla has received national recognition for her research as a graduate student, primarily as an honorable mention for the NSF GRFP (2021), and as an undergraduate as a Barry M. Goldwater National Scholar (2019). Broadly, her research interests center around the extent of human cognition and performance in complex situations, particularly those that promote multitasking. Her most current and specific research interest includes the (in)efficacy of non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS) and similar methods for cognitive enhancement and how individuals’ outcome expectations can influence the effectiveness of such methods. In her free time, Kayla enjoys admiring her plants and her cat Samwell, reading every novel and novella in the A Song of Ice and Fire series (one day we will get The Winds of Winter), and playing board games. Kayla can be contacted at kayla.sansevere@tufts.edu

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Scott Marriner – Graduate Student

Scott is a second-year graduate student in the Human Factors Engineering program in the School of Engineering. He has previous research experience in emotional intelligence and leadership performance. His primary research interests center around understanding cognitive workload and attentional demands as well as subtractive changes in design and planning. In his free time, Scott enjoys reading about history, working out, playing pickleball, and traveling with his wife, Caitlin. He can be reached at: scott.marriner@tufts.edu

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Julie DiCarlo – Graduate Student

Julie is a first-year Ph.D. student in the Psychology Department. Her background is primarily in neurorehab, studying motor systems neuroscience after stroke including using neuroimaging and neurotechnology (e.g., non-invasive brain stimulation). Julie’s research is focused on investigating individual differences in attention control across different outcome measure classes. She is also interested in the influence of attention control on goal-directed actions including probing neural mechanisms. In her free time, Julie can almost exclusively be found with her dog, Maui! She also enjoys traveling, snowboarding, and golfing. She can be reached at: julie.dicarlo@tufts.edu

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Sydni Nadler – Graduate Student

Sydni is a first-year graduate student in the Joint PhD in Psychology and Cognitive Science program. She graduated from The George Washington University’s Honors Program with a B.A. in Psychological & Brain Sciences and Criminal Justice in 2022. As an undergraduate, Sydni was awarded a Luther Rice Undergraduate Research Fellowship and a Sigelman Undergraduate Research Enhancement award for her research as a member of the GW Visual Cognition Lab. Following graduation, she spent a year working as a Junior Lecturer at Johns Hopkins University and taught a number of undergraduate courses focusing on cognition and the brain. Sydni is broadly interested in the role individual differences play in cognitive performance and how these may play out in an applied setting. In her free time, Sydni can be found playing tourist across the Boston area or curling up with her cats, Two and Three. She can be reached at sydni.nadler@tufts.edu

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Parisa Arastu – Undergraduate Research Assistant

Parisa is a sophomore in the School of Arts and Sciences and plans on majoring in Cognitive Brain Sciences. She is particularly interested in child development and the application of behavior in human factors engineering. She hopes to pursue a career in either this or speech and language pathology. In her free time, Parisa enjoys singing, exploring Boston, and building puzzles.

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Charlotte Conroy – Undergraduate Research Assistant

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Audrey Maloy – Undergraduate Research Assistant

Aditi Mehndiratta – Undergraduate Research Assistant

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Chloe Nia – Undergraduate Research Assistant

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Danny Samuels – Undergraduate Research Assistant

Danny is a recent graduate from the school of Arts and Sciences majoring in Engineering Psychology. He is interested in applying the concepts of human centered design into product development. In his free time, Danny enjoys rock climbing, playing guitar, and spending time with his dog.

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Bella Sidoruk – Undergraduate Research Assistant

Bella is a junior in the school of Arts and Sciences majoring in Cognitive and Brain Sciences (BS) and Science, Technology and Society (BS). Currently in her third year of being a research assistant in TACL, Bella has lead two research projects, both registered reports, including the Cognitive States study and the Sustained Attention and Heart Rate Variability study. Bella has presented her research on both of these projects at various conferences in New England, including the Laidlaw Scholars Global Conference and the New England Psychological Association (NEPA) annual conference. Bella is mostly interested in the effects of mental disorders in neuropsychology, and exploring the cognitive mechanisms behind multitasking, memory, and attention although she is also enthralled by psychology in music and canine cognition. Outside of the lab, Bella enjoys trying new foods, working out, playing music, baking, skiing, and playing with her two huge dogs.

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William Zhuang – Undergraduate Research Assistant

William is a junior in the School of Arts and Sciences majoring in Engineering Psychology and English. He is originally from Qingdao, China, but has been studying in the US since 2015. He is interested in how human cognition can be manipulated through methods of brain stimulation. Outside of school, William enjoys creative writing, works as an editor for campus magazines, and loves going to concerts around Boston.

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