Jessica is a graduate
student in the Cognition, Brain, and Behavior program in
the Department of Psychology at Harvard University.
Her research focuses on understanding how the brain changes
throughout the lifespan, as well as how one might be able
to use this information to help explain cognitive variation
among individuals. Specific research techniques
Jessica uses include correlational analysis of the fMRI
BOLD signal and diffusion tensor imaging. Whereas it
is traditionally common to investigate structure and
functional alterations within specific brain regions,
Jessica is more interested in investigating how regions
that comprise large-scale brain systems interact with one
another. Studying the interaction of regions within
brain systems such as the default system has yielded
interesting findings in advanced aging. Functional
correlations dramatically decline with increasing age in
ways that predict cognition. Jessica's current
projects investigate the overall function of the default
system, including its relation to learning and memory and
social perception.
Andrews-Hanna, J.R.,
Snyder, A.Z., Vincent, J.L., Lustig, C., Head, D., Fox,
M.D., Raichle, M.E., & Buckner, R.L. (2007) Evidence
for large-scale network disruption in advanced aging.
Neuron, 56(5): 924-35. [medline abstract]
Roitman, J.D., Brannon, E.M., Andrews, J.R., & Platt,
M.L. (2007). Nonverbal Representation of Time and
Number in Adults. Acta Psychologia, 124(3):
298-318. [medline abstract]
Vincent, J.L.,
Snyder, A.Z., Fox, M.D., Shannon, B.J., Andrews, J.R.,
Raichle, M.E., & Buckner, R.L. (2006) Coherent
spontaneous activity identifies a hippocampal-parietal
memory network.
Journal of
Neurophysiology. 96: 3517-3531. [medline abstract]
Andrews, J.R., Wang, L., Csernansky, J.G., Gado, M.H.,
& Barch, D.M. (2006). Abnormalities of Thalamic
Activation and Cognition in Schizophrenia. American Journal
of Psychiatry; 163 (3) [medline abstract]
Merabet, L., Thut, G., Murray, B., Andrews, J.R., Hsiao,
S., & Pascual-Leone, A. (2004). Feelling by sight or
seeing by touch? Neuron. 42(1): 173-9. [medline abstract]
