The Denison University department of psychology has invited Cheryl L. Grady of the Rotman Research Institute and the University of Toronto to discuss her research into age-related changes in memory as part of the J.R. Kantor Memorial Lecture Series. This year, the department is exploring "The Aging Brain." Grady will speak on "How Brain Imaging Can Help Us Understand Age-Related Changes in Memory" at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday (April 5) in the Herrick Hall Auditorium.

Certain memory functions change as we age. Grady's research program in cognitive neuroscience has used neuroimaging to examine brain activity during memory tasks and offers insights into how to maximize memory functioning throughout the aging process. In an article in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Grady and her collaborators say "These results suggest that there is a gradual, age-related reduction in the ability to suspend non-task-related or 'default-mode' activity and engage areas for carrying out memory tasks. Such an alteration in the balance between default-mode and task-related activity could account for increased vulnerability to distraction from irrelevant information, and thereby affect multiple cognitive domains."

Grady earned her bachelor's degree at Rollin College (Fla.) and a master's and her doctorate at Boston University. She has received research grants from the Canadian Institute of Health Research, the McDonnell Fund and the National Institute of Health. She is a member of the International Neuropsychological Society ad the Memory Disorders Research Society.

The J.R. Kantor Lectureship in Psychology was established in 1996 by a gift from the estate of the late Professor Kantor, who was on the faculty of Indiana University for many years but who had many ties to Denison University. Kantor was among the first generation of behaviorists, developing his own system, which was unusual among his peers because of its field theoretical orientation.

Calendar Listing:

CALENDAR LISTING: Denison University, Granville -- The J.R. Kantor Lectureship Series presents Cheryl L. Grady speaking on "How Brain Imaging Can Help Us Understand Age-Related Changes in Memory"; 7:30 p.m., Thursday (April 5), Herrick Hall Auditorium (500 West Loop). Free and open to the public. Call 740-587-6338 to confirm information.

About Denison:

Denison University, founded in 1831, is an independent, residential liberal arts institution located in Granville, Ohio. A highly selective college enrolling 2,100 full-time undergraduate students from all 50 states and dozens of foreign countries, Denison is a place where innovative faculty and motivated students collaborate in rigorous scholarship, civic engagement and the cultivation of independent thinking.

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