I am interested in how humans exert top-down, cognitive control when bottom-up biases (perceptual, emotional, motivational) are in conflict with the current goal. As when cognitive control fails, these biases could become detrimental, contributing to maladaptive behaviors (e.g., attention deficits, addiction) as seen in many psychiatric disorders. My research focuses on examining two key aspects of cognitive control - the ability to select task-relevant infromaiton proactively (selective attention), and the ability to control responses reactively (response inhibition). Using various research methodologies (behavior, fMRI, TMS), my research aims to charachterize the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying cognitive control, and ultimately to provide insights into how to best improve cognitive control in the relevant clinical populations.
