DeLTA Center Colloquium - Tracy Riggins (University of Maryland)

DeLTA Center Colloquium - Tracy Riggins (University of Maryland)
Friday, March 10, 2017 - 3:30pm to 5:00pm
2520D
University Capitol Centre

Tracy Riggins, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland, will be giving a colloquium to the DeLTA Center.

Dr. Riggins "received her Ph.D. in Child Psychology from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota in 2005. She completed postdoctoral fellowships in pediatric neuroimaging at the University of California, Davis and the University of Maryland, School of Medicine in Baltimore. The goal of her research program is to provide better understanding of memory development by examining changes in neural substrates supporting this ability. The empirical research conducted in her laboratory involves both typically developing children and children at-risk for cognitive impairments and uses a combination of behavioral, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging methodologies. Findings from her research have revealed that early childhood is a time of rapid change in children’s ability to remember life events. Dr. Riggins was recently awarded a 5-year grant from NIH to examine the neural mechanisms underlying these changes in memory in children aged 4 to 8 years."

From the Department of Psychology, U of Maryland, 2 December 2016, https://psyc.umd.edu/facultyprofile/Riggins/Tracy.

Title: Hippocampal-memory network development and episodic memory in early childhood

Abstract: Memory is a cornerstone ability upon which we build knowledge of ourselves and the world around us. Failures in memory, no matter how small, can significantly impact life success and mental health. A large body of research exists regarding the neural bases of memory in adults. In contrast, very few studies have examined neural mechanisms underlying memory development in early childhood. This is particularly unfortunate as behavioral research suggests this is a time of significant and rapid development in episodic memory. This gap is not only a limitation in scientific understanding but also a barrier to development of intervention techniques that would facilitate or improve memory in those at-risk for impairment. This presentation will describe empirical research from my lab examining changes in the structure and function of the hippocampally-mediated episodic memory network during early childhood, when gains in episodic memory are greatest.