Brooke N. Macnamara

Principal Investigator

I’m interested in a range of predictors (e.g., cognitive, experiential, affective, environmental) of variance in complex human performance—both intra-individual change (skill acquisition, skill decay) and inter-individual differences (expertise, achievement, job performance). I’m also interested in the theories that predict variance in accomplishments and why people might believe a given factor is more important than the evidence suggests.

Ashley Miller

Postdoctoral Researcher

I am broadly interested in how memory and attention interact, why individuals differ in these abilities, and what factors shape performance within individuals over time. A central goal of my work is to clarify how attention supports learning. To investigate this, I use physiological methods such as pupillometry and eye-tracking to examine how attention is dynamically allocated during learning. I am also interested in how motivational and affective factors influence attention allocation (and decision making) throughout the learning process. Ultimately, my research aims to identify effective strategies for enhancing task engagement and reducing attention and memory difficulties across the adult lifespan, with the goal of improving learning and performance outcomes in diverse contexts.

Mariel Barnett

Graduate Student

I’m interested in learning, academic performance, and achievement. Specifically, I study academic performance under pressure, with a focus of my research being on the cognitive (i.e., distraction) and behavioral (i.e., avoidance) links with math anxiety. I am also interested in interventions that promote academic achievement, and whether the evidence supports claims about intervention efficacy.

Kat Hradek

Lab Manager

My name is Kat, and I am the lab manager of the Skill, Learning, and Performance laboratory at Purdue University. I aspire to become a graduate student and carry out my own research. My research interests pertain to early life stressors and their clinical/mental health impacts within emerging adulthood.

Kyle LaFollette

Graduate Student Primary Lab: Affective Neuroscience Lab

I am a PhD candidate in Psychology at Case Western Reserve University, working primarily with Professors Heath Demaree, Brooke Macnamara, and Amit Goldenberg. My research focuses on cognitive mechanisms underlying social and emotional decision-making, particularly where emotions are perceived or experienced. I primarily use computational cognitive modeling and affective computing methods to explore these mechanisms. In addition to this primary line of research, I also have interests in developing new computational methods for psychological science, such as equation discovery algorithms for reinforcement learning models and simulation routines for diffusion models with analytically intractable likelihood functions. Prior to my doctoral studies, I obtained a B.Sc. in Cognitive Science and Biopsychology from the University of Michigan and conducted post-bac research at the University of Arizona and Stanford University.

Carly Lubowe

Graduate Student Primary Lab: Neurodevelopment Research Lab

I am a student in the Developmental Cognitive and Affective Sciences program at Case Western Reserve University. I primarily work in the Neurodevelopment Research Lab with Dr. Dimitropoulos, studying long term outcomes of children with Prader-Willi syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder. I joined the Skill, Learning, and Performance lab in the Fall of 2024, because of my interest in methods of assessment and the influence of environmental factors on skill acquisition and performance.

David J. Frank, Assistant Professor

Current Position: Assistant Professor at Youngstown State University

Research Interests
– Learning and skill acquisition
– Strategies and performance
– Metacognition
– Aging

Anne Kotynski

Recent Position: Acting Section Chief at NIH

Research Interests
– Emotion and Motivation

Michael King

Current Position: Human Factors Engineer at Quantum Improvements Consulting

Research Interests
– Attention
– Visual search
– Working memory
– Spatial ability
– Intelligence

Amanda Merner

Current Position: Instructor, Research Scientist at Harvard Medical School

Research Interests
– Emotion Regulation
– Executive Function
– Neurodegenerative diseases

Huangqi Jiang

Current Position: Data Scientist at Bloomberg

Research Interests
– Cognitive Control
– Decision Making
– Cognitive Aging

Victoria Sisk

Current Position: Graduate student at University of Arizona

Research Interests
– Attitudes and beliefs
– Social influence
– Implicit theories
– Social psychological interventions
– Decision making

Megha “Tani” Maitra

Current Position: SLP for Chicago Public Schools

Research Interests
– Cognitive Rehabilitation

Jonathan Daniels

Current Position: PhD student at Princeton University

Research Interests
– Cognition
– Intelligence
– Computational Cognition

Bao Ho

Current Position: PhD student at Bowling Green State University

Research Interests
– Industrial-Organizational Psychology