 | Weiwei Zhang, Ph.D. Associate Professor E-mail: weiwei.zhang at ucr.edu Office: #3125, Department of Psychology Lab: #3132, Department of Psychology Tel: (95I) 827 - 5242 (office) | (95I) 827 - 4839 (lab) |
| Assistant Research Psychologist | |
 | Bo Yeong Won, Ph.D. I am a cognitive psychology researcher. My main research topic is attention in visual search. Specifically, I have worked on target selection modulated by statistical learning during my Ph.D. years at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. During my postdoc years at UC Davis, I have focused on distractor suppression modulated by statistics learning. I am also open to many other topics in cognitive psychology, but particularly, I am interested in working memory. Specifically, I am interested in how visual stimuli are represented during visual search. A little bit about me: I love nature. I like walking along the arboretum and going on hiking! |
| Postdoctoral researcher | |
 | Ilenia Salsano, Ph.D. I am a Postdoctoral scholar at UCR. I obtained my Ph.D. in Behavioral Neuroscience, curriculum Neuropsychology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the Sapienza University of Rome. I have been part of the Neuroimaging Laboratory at Santa Lucia Foundation (IRCCS) in Rome for six years. During these years, I gained experience in task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), focusing on visual attention, long-term memory, and emotion. I think that studying these main cognitive systems separately is quite limiting. For this reason, my interest is to investigate the neural correlates underlying the interaction between them. Moreover, my goal is to extend these findings to elderly subjects and patients with damaged brains (e.g., hemispatial neglect syndrome). |
| GRADUATE STUDENTS | |
 | Hyung-Bum Park I received my Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Psychology of Cognition and Perception at Chung-Ang University (Seoul). I have studied the characteristics of visual working memory, focusing in particular on its capacity limits and the mechanisms by which working memory interacts with visual attention. My research interests include information processing, decision making, and individual differences arise from a limited capacity of cognitive resource. Now I am here at UCR to continue my research for pursuing a Ph.D. Cooking is the one that I love to do in my free time. |
 | Lilian Azer As an undergraduate student at UCR, I worked as a research assistant under Weiwei. I fell in love with the field of cognitive psychology, however, I decided to pursue a Master of Arts degree from CSUDH in Clinical Psychology in order to expand my knowledge of working with a clinical population for future research opportunities. I am now, again, working with Weiwei in my pursuit to obtain a Ph.D.. My research interests include a combination of cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology. More specifically, I am interested in aspects of cognitive aging and biological psychopathology in relation to working memory, perception and attention. |
 | Li Yang As an undergraduate and master student at South China Normal University, I investigated effects of visual similarity on visual working memory. In order to further my knowledge of cognitive neuroscience and neuroimaging, I took time between my master's and Ph.D. research to work at Colorado State University. Now, I am a Ph.D. student working with Weiwei. My research interests focus on memory precision, and its role in complex cognitive processes. I would like to utilize multiple methodologies, including fMRI and EEG. |
 | Mack (Tianye) Ma I finished my undergraduate study at East China Normal University in 2019, and then spent a year and a half as a visiting student at Colorado State University. Now I’m working with Weiwei as a doctoral candidate at UCR. My primary research domain of interest is the conceptualization of memory resources, namely, how we can understand the resource limits of memory in a theory-based manner. I use psychophysics, Bayesian cognitive modeling as well as model-based neuroimaging methods to tackle this question. |
| Lab manager | |
 | Stephen Campbell I've graduated from UCR with a BA in Psychology. As an undergraduate, I participated as a research assistant in a couple of different labs that performed research in areas such as emotion regulation and eyewitness identification. My goal is to attain admission into a graduate program in Cognitive Psychology so I may pursue a PhD and continue onto a career in research. I find many areas of cognitive research to be interesting, though I'm particularly interested in working memory, attention, and decision-making. |
| Visiting students/scholars | |
 | Shinhae Ahn During my master’s program in South Korea, I studied visual perception and cognition. As a research volunteer here in UCR, I am participating in studies which investigate how successful cognitive behaviors are achieved against different sources of interference such as task-irrelevant distractors or concurrent physical load. With all nice and motivating experience, I am planning to apply for a graduate program in Cognitive Psychology in the United States. |
| RESEARCH ASSISTANTS | |
 | Mayowa Ogunmakinwa (Sarah) I am a first year Neuroscience student at UCR. I am interested in cognitive psychology/neuroscience and the connection between psychological behavior and the nervous system. After receiving my Bachelor’s degree in neuroscience, I aim to go on to medical school. My goal is to pursue neurosurgery. However, I am open to the many paths of medicine I might encounter. I am a passionate and an ambitious individual, and you can always find me deeply absolved in a book. |
 | Connor Wu My specific interest in the field of Psychology is the relationship between abnormalities in the brain and mental illnesses such as Bipolar Disorder and Dissociative Identity Disorder. I wish to understand the causes behind such mysterious diseases, whether physiological or psychological, in order to design the most appropriate and effective ways to administer therapy to sufferers of these ailments. After attaining my Bachelors, I plan on attending graduate school for either Clinical Psychology or Cognitive Science and then pursuing a career in the corresponding field. In my free time, I train in various martial arts including boxing, muay thai, and Sanda. |
 | Tiffany Le Currently, I am a second year at the University of California Riverside. After being a research assistant for another lab on campus, I decided to apply to Dr. Zhang's lab in order to broaden my views on the different fields that psychology has to offer. After finishing my undergrad, I plan to apply to graduate school, and hopefully get my masters degree. As of right now, I am not certain of which field of psychology I want to major in, however, I am leaning towards clinical psychology. In the future, if I do choose to pursue research, I hope to be able to work with children and study how they behave, react, and respond in different situations. |
 | Gabriela Macias I am a second year Psychology major at UCR. I am interested in the relations between neurological factors and our behavior especially in memory and cognition. My research interests are in neuroscience and psychology and their relationship when it comes to neurological disorders. I plan on going to graduate school to obtain a PhD in Clinical Psychology and then continuing my education by obtaining a Postdoc in Clinical Neuropsychology. My goal is to become a practicing clinical neuropsychologist in a hospital to treat patients and conduct research. I am passionate and adventurous, and I enjoy traveling and spending time with friends. |
 | Tammy Dinh Currently, I am a third-year biochemistry major aiming to pursue a career in medicine. My research interests focus on the understanding of the molecular and physiological affects of neurodegenerative diseases and the applications of how the brain functions in health and disease. After completing my undergraduate degree, I plan on attending medical school to become a physician. In my free time, I love to travel, go to the beach and music festivals! |
 | Samantha Li I graduated with a major in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley and is currently working towards my goal of becoming a physician one day. I performed research in a reproductive lab during undergrad where I studied reproductive health and the biochemical mechanisms underlying the physiology of mammalian fertilization. Upon graduating and moving back home, I started working in a neurosurgical clinic as a medical scribe along with caring for my grandma who suffered from dementia. These experiences really sparked my interest in learning more about the brain and how memory works. In my free time, I like to play with my dogs, travel and try new foods! |
 | Marriam Anjum I'm a third year neuroscience major at UCR and I'm working towards pursuing a career in medicine. I'm interested in cognitive neuroscience and how the memory forming, storing, and retrieving process works in the brain. As an aspiring physician, I hope to attend medical school after completing my undergraduate degree. In my free time, I enjoy drawing, doing henna art, and baking |
 | Lin Karman I am a second year Neuroscience major at UCR. I am interested in understanding how bilinguals may have different brain activity that may affect their memory's strength compared to monolinguals. In the near future, I aim to enroll in medical school, to become a physician while simultaneously conducting research. Reading, yoga, and running are a few of my hobbies that I like to do whenever I am free. |
 | Saicharitha Kalvakota I’m a second year Biology major at UCR and am aiming to pursue a career within the medical field after graduation. With regards to research, I’m interested in how the brain functions, particularly its relationship with neurological disorders and treatments.I am passionate about the behavioral approach of neurophysiology, which is a pillar of this group’s studies and findings. In my free time I enjoy reading, traveling and taking my dog on walks! |
 | Sarah Mughal I am a second-year Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology major at UCR aiming to pursue a career in medicine. I am interested in learning more about neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders, specifically Autism and Alzheimers, and hope to pursue research related to cognitive neuroscience to better understand how the brain and memory work as well as the relationship between behavior and the nervous system. In my free time, I enjoy playing badminton, hiking, and photography! |
 | Jasmine Ho I am currently a third-year psychology major at UCR. I am interested in the cognitive neuroscience lab because it researches memory and retention and focuses on how these processes work in our brains. After undergrad, I want to get my Masters in Occupational Therapy in hopes to become an Occupational Therapist, where I can reach out to individuals and help refine their motor skills in a safe environment so that they can reach the ability to do everyday activities. In my free time, I like to read new books, go to the beach, and watch the sunset! |
 | Alisa Gadkari Currently, I am a second-year Neuroscience major focused on pursuing a career in medicine with the hope of becoming a pediatric neurologist. I am interested in learning the roles and effects that specific parts of the brain play in neurodegenerative disorders, memory formation, and treatments. I hope to pursue and start my own research relating to neurological disorders such as Tourette Syndrome to better understand how the brain influences reflex, memory, and impulses. In my free time, I love to workout, play tennis, bake, and try new foods. |
 | Arlyn Ballesteros My name is Arlyn Ballesteros and I am a fourth year at the University of California, Riverside majoring in Neuroscience. I enjoy going to coffee shops, reading books, and hanging out with my family and friends. My research interests include: Neurobiology, Immunology, and Cancer Research. I am interested in pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience or Biomedical Sciences. I am also passionate about helping individuals who struggle with mental health issues. I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to be an RA for this lab and I’m excited to see what this year brings! |
 | Cindy Lee I am currently a second year Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology major at UCR. I am interested in learning more about the brain and how it retains memory. I am curious how accurate our memories are and if the brain correctly remembers our everyday lives. After undergrad, I plan to pursue a career in the medical field and apply to PA school. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends and baking. |
 | Min Htet I am a third-year neuroscience major at UCR. I find many areas of cognition and memory-related research to be fascinating. I have also been involved as a research assistant for over a year in a recognition memory lab. My long-term goal is to pursue a Ph.D. and become a researcher in the field of psychology or neuroscience. I am particularly interested in studying neurological disorders, hippocampal neurons, and neurorobotics. It seems very promising that we will understand more and potentially cure neurological diseases with advancing science and technology. In my free time, I enjoy playing chess, piano and performing sleight of hand magic tricks to people. |
| ALUMNI | |
| Graduate students Zane (Weizhen) Xie (2013-2018) postdoc at NINDS https://zanewzxie.weebly.com/ Marcus Cappiello (2013-2019) Postdoc and visiting scholars and students Azra Jahanitabesh Jooseok Hyun Xianfeng Ding Zhao Fan Xiaorong Cheng Yujie Zheng Ben Yao Jintao Song Wei Wang Shinhae Ahn Undergraduate research assistants Mary Mansour Aaron Koay Debora Handojo Miriam Rizk Julieanne Ong Hanna Boparai Pa Kou Chang Allyson Brousseau Richard Pham Nhung Nguyen JC Lynne Lu Sing Jennifer Thornton Anisha Dhaliwal Walena Logan Elizabeth Ramos Miranda Arciaga Fabiola Ortiz Sarah Allec Uttara Suresh Edward Hsi Irving Muglia-Arias Jasmine Singh Tiffany Su Jennifer Nesta Kristie Pan Daniel Yim Kristiana Rendon Alexandra Clark Victor Ha Nicole Berg Jessica Tarango Adrian Pardo Jonathan Caplan Ana Martinez-Flores Allan Vazquez Andrea Veron Julia Kim Emily Wu Vanessa Buckley Julia Anderson Karen Nieto Kevin Ferrer Manaar Syed |
|
