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What We Are Doing

Our current projects reflect not only the interests of current members, but also projects that span many graduate-student generations

[Check out our lab publication page for a sample of current publications]

Canine NeuroImaging

While we've traditionally studied pigeons and people, the Katz lab is now getting to know man's best friend!  At the MRI Research Center, we are beginning to understand dogs' behavior on a neural level.  Particular areas of interest are face and smell recognition and concept learning.  Associated students: Andie Thompkins and Lucia Lazarowski.

Collaboration with Fort Rucker

The Katz lab is currently working along side military personnel from Fort Rucker on a series of projects examining how combat exposure influences information processing.  To do this, we use functional neuroimaging, cognitive batteries, and skin conductance measures.  Associated students: Adam Goodman and Alex Daniel.

Cross-Species Change Detection

Visual working memory has been widely studied in humans, but it's still a relatively unfamiliar area in animal research.  Using a change detection procedure, our lab compares results across humans, pigeons, and nonhuman primates.  Associated students: Andie Thompkins, Martha Forloines.

Human Concept Learning in fMRI

Our lab compares behavior across species -- we are currently conducting several studies that examine how humans learn abstract concepts, how nonhumans learn abstract concepts, how these processes are similiar, and how they are different.  Associated students: Adam Goodman.

Taste Short-Term Memory

We know a lot about memory (short-term and working) for words and pictures, but what about other senses?  We're beginning to explore the sense of gustation: are our memories for tastes qualitatively different from our memories for visual or auditory events?  Associated students: Alex Daniel.