Dr. Rissman develops and applies advanced neuroimaging methods, using multi-voxel pattern analysis to decode mental representations and connectivity modeling techniques—both functional and structural—to examine interactions between brain regions that support memory and attentional control. His work has illuminated how prefrontal control systems prioritize relevant information and suppress distractions, and how these dynamic processes influence what is remembered. He often employs naturalistic paradigms, such as immersive virtual reality and wearable cameras, to study autobiographical memory and cognition in real-world settings. In addition to characterizing memory mechanisms in healthy individuals, his research extends to aging and clinical populations, with the goal of understanding how memory and cognitive control processes are altered in these groups.