Principal Investigator
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Marc N. Coutanche (he/him; pronunciation) is an Associate Professor in Psychology, a Research Scientist in the Learning Research & Development Center, and Member of the Center for the Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC). He completed his PhD at the University of Pennsylvania, post-doctoral training at Yale University, and received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Oxford. He is the current Chair of the Cognitive Program.
e-mail: marc.coutanche@pitt.edu CV |
Graduate Students
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Amy Qi (she/her) is a PhD student in the Cognitive Psychology Program at the University of Pittsburgh. She graduated with a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in Psychology with a minor in Applied Statistics and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from the University of Pittsburgh. She is interested in studying learning and memory with a focus on neuroimaging methods. Outside of lab, she enjoys watching anime, cooking, and occasionally some outdoor activities.
e-mail: xiq26@pitt.edu |
Yuetong Bai (he/him) is a PhD student in the Cognitive Psychology Program at the University of Pittsburgh. He graduated with a BS degree in Psychology and minored in Computer Science at Beijing Normal University. He received a MA degree in Computational Social Science at the University of Chicago before coming to Pittsburgh. He is interested in understanding how the brain processes information and forms memory. In his spare time, he enjoys playing video games, cooking, and hiking.
e-mail: yuetong.bai@pitt.edu
e-mail: yuetong.bai@pitt.edu
Research Assistant
Medha Sharma (she/her) has recently completed her master's in computer science from the University of Colorado-Boulder. She did her bachelors in computer science as well from IIIT Hyderabad, India. Outside research she likes to play guitar and listen to music, read some books and watch a lot of tv shows and movies.
e-mail: mes628@pitt.edu
e-mail: mes628@pitt.edu
Lab Coordinator
Tatyana Olevich (she/her) is a sophomore majoring in Psychology with minors in Business and Film Studies. She is interested in the role of sleep in memory cognition and general language acquisition. In the future, she hopes to pursue a career in research psychology and academia. Outside of the lab, she enjoys visiting museums and traveling.
e-mail: tvo1@pitt.edu
e-mail: tvo1@pitt.edu
Undergraduates
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Grace Lim (she/her) is a junior majoring in Studio Arts. She is interested in neuroimaging and cognitive psychology. Outside of the lab, she enjoys singing and painting in her studio. In the future, she expects to pursue a career in the medical field.
e-mail: grl33@pitt.edu |
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Sruthi Malineni (she/her) is a sophomore double majoring in Computer Science and Data Science with a minor in Neuroscience. She is interested in neuroimaging and computational neuroscience. Outside of the lab, she enjoys baking and going on walks. In the future, she wants to attend graduate school and pursue a career either in tech or academia.
e-mail: scm106@pitt.edu |
Maanya Laad (she/her) is a senior majoring in psychology. She is interested in clinical psychology and hopes to eventually pursue a career as a clinical psychologist. Outside of the lab she interested in music, reading and traveling.
e-mail: mal355@pitt.edu
e-mail: mal355@pitt.edu
Lab Alumni
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Heather Bruett (she/her) was a Ph.D. student in the Cognitive Psychology Program at the University of Pittsburgh. She received her Ph.D. in 2021. Before coming to Pitt, she graduated from The College of New Jersey. When not studying learning and memory, she was often found watching Gilmore Girls reruns and eating M&Ms.
Website: https://www.heatherbruett.com/ e-mail: heb52@pitt.edu Brandon Carlos was a Post-Baccalaureate fellow in the Hot Metal Bridge Program at the University of Pittsburgh. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology at Syracuse University. He is interested in studying learning and memory. In his free time he enjoys long drives and working out. He is currently working with Dr. Benjamin Tamber-Rosenau in the Cognitive Neuroscience Program at the University of Houston.
e-mail: bjc89@pitt.edu |
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John Paulus (he/him) was the lab coordinator for the lab, and graduated from the University of Pittsburgh, majoring in Psychology with minors in Neuroscience and French. He is interested in understanding the underlying mechanisms of sleep and the neuroscience behind its effect on memory. In his spare time, John enjoys archery and martial arts.
e-mail: jdp71@pitt.edu |
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Essang Akpan (he/him) was the fMRI Data Analyst in the lab, and graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering. He is interested in utilizing brain imaging techniques to better study neuropsychiatry and cognitive science. Outside the lab he enjoys watching basketball, paint drying, and the latest Netflix series.
e-mail: eaa61@pitt.edu |
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Xueying (Caroline) Ren (she/her) was a Ph.D. student in the Cognitive Psychology Program at the University of Pittsburgh. She graduated with a Master of Science degree from City, University of London. She is interested in applying computational and quantitative approaches to study brain patterns. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking and watching movies. Leonardo DiCaprio is her favorite actor.
e-mail: xur1@pitt.edu Rae Buckser (they/them) was a Ph.D. student in the Cognitive Psychology Program at the University of Pittsburgh. They graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Purdue University before spending several years as a Research Associate in neuroimaging labs at Purdue and Pitt. Rae is interested in the neuroscience of learning and memory and the development of novel approaches for acquisition, analysis, and application of functional neuroimaging data. Outside the lab, they enjoy reading weird fiction and spending time with their cats, Mehitabel and Mae Borowski.
e-mail: buckser@pitt.edu |
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Juan Carlos Angel Rojas (he/him) was a Post-Baccalaureate fellow in the Hot Metal Bridge Program. He is originally from Caracas, Venezuela, and he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematics from Waynesburg University. Juan Carlos is interested in cognitive psychology and the use of mathematics and computer science for its study. In his free time, he enjoys practicing martial arts and playing soccer.
e-mail: jua47@pitt.edu |
Amy Padia (she/her) graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BS in Neuroscience and a minor in Chemistry. She is interested in learning about the neural mechanisms associated with learning and memory. Outside of the lab, she enjoys ballroom dancing and making friends. Now, she is attending medical school.
e-mail: amp309@pitt.edu
e-mail: amp309@pitt.edu
Angela Griffo (she/her) was a Ph.D. student in the Cognitive Psychology Program at the University of Pittsburgh. She graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, also from the University of Pittsburgh.
Outside of research, she enjoys white water rafting, expanding her plant collection, and hanging out with her cat “Star.”
e-mail: ang157@pitt.edu
Outside of research, she enjoys white water rafting, expanding her plant collection, and hanging out with her cat “Star.”
e-mail: ang157@pitt.edu
Griffin E. Koch (he/him) was a Ph.D. student in the Cognitive Psychology Program at the University of Pittsburgh. He graduated with a Bachelor of Philosophy degree in Psychology and German from the University of Pittsburgh, and was previously the Lab Coordinator. He is interested in studying learning and memory. When he is not in the lab, Griff can be found playing or coaching soccer, or taking a nap in his hammock.
e-mail: gek21@pitt.edu
e-mail: gek21@pitt.edu
Undergraduate Alumni
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Toyin Ayayi
Uma Balaji Angeleah Carreras Sharran Chakravorty Manasa Chillarige Zoe Cribbs Jasmine Issa Claire Kolhoff Mariah Mascara |
Adam Naroden
Amir Oueid Alex Pang Grace Qian Paz Quiñones Leslie Rajendran Ashley Revels Meaghan Rodgers Amber Shergill Travis Slopek |
Abigail Swire
Andre Sydnor Swathi Tata Carlo Vignali Dan Volpone Aarya Wadke Grace Waldow Joanna Wang Kelsey Wang |
Adopted Animal
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Learning studies of the lab often involve introducing participants to rarely known animals. The lab's adopted animal is ... the Shoebill! Learn more about the Shoebill here.
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Recent lab socials
Lab Dinner hosted by Marc in Fall 2022!
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Lab Trip to the Black Cat Market in Spring 2022!