Mariam Aly

How is perception transformed to memory, and how do we use memory to guide perception and attention? The Aly Lab studies the mechanisms by which attention and perception influence memory for the world around us, and how, once we have formed those memories, we can use them to guide our attention, perception, and goal-directed behavior in the future.

To address these questions, we rely on multiple methods that together give us a holistic understanding of behavior and the brain. These methods include behavioral studies of healthy young adults, high-resolution functional neuroimaging (fMRI), eye tracking, and studies of patients with brain lesions (e.g., as a result of epilepsy, stroke, or hypoxia).

These methods have allowed us to answer questions such as: how do memory systems contribute to perception? How are memory systems modulated by attention, and how do they shape what we pay attention to? How do we learn and remember temporal structure in the world, and how does that enable us to generate perceptual predictions about the future?

Together, our research helps uncover the multifaceted and inherently interactive nature of cognition, bringing us closer to understanding the whole of the mind and brain as well as its parts.