Dr. Mattfeld is the Director of the Memory and Development (MaD) Lab, where research is focused on understanding the neurobiological mechanisms that support learning and memory, and how these mechanisms change as a result of development and neurodevelopmental disorders. Memory is the product of a richly interacting network of brain regions. The extent to which these networks operate in concert, and the nature of their interactions, are not well understood. The MaD Lab uses multimodal imaging methodologies, as well as computational models of associative learning, to investigate both the distinct mechanisms and the interactions of different learning and memory systems.
The guiding questions of the lab include:
(1) What are the neural mechanisms and subsequent interactions between different learning and memory systems?
(2) How do those neural mechanisms and interactions change as a function of development and neurodevelopmental diseases such as ADHD? and
(3) How can our knowledge about the neurobiology of learning and memory help us develop more efficient teaching practices, as well as better diagnoses and treatments of developmental disorders?
Key Research Areas:
Learning and memory, development, neurodevelopment disorders, ADHD, teaching practices, diagnosis and treatment of developmental disorders