BIO

As a cognitive and educational psychologist, my primary goal is to understand how to overcome limitations in the performance of complex cognitive tasks. In particular, I investigate cognitive tasks that require managing multiple goals, integrating different sources of information, and forming coherent, memorable representations. My research has two foci. In one line of research, I have examined the comprehension of visual displays used in a wide variety of contexts, including elementary science and math education and scientific research. My second line of research focuses on understanding two basic mechanisms that support complex cognition, working memory and executive functions, and the degree to which they can be improved.