Meet Our Team
Lab Director
Zhong Xu Liu, Ph.D. (BSc, BEng)
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Brief Bio:
My first career was in engineering. My job was to design structures and foundations for residential and industrial buildings. Although I love being a structural engineer, I am also fascinated by brain science and human psychology. After I moved to Canada in 2003, I decided to study psychology and cognitive neuroscience. I obtained my BSc in Psychology from Concordia University in Montreal. Then I obtained my M.A. with Dr. Marc Lewis and Ph.D. with Dr. Morris Moscovitch from the University of Toronto, focusing on human cognitive neuroscience (of memory). Before I came to UM-Dearborn in September 2018, I completed 3 years of postdoctoral training with Dr. Jennifer Ryan at the Rotman Research Institute and Dr. Shayna Rosenbaum at York University in Toronto.
My Research:
My main research focus is on the neural mechanisms of visual memory processing. My goal is to understand, at both the behavioral and neural level, how visuoperceptual information processed in the posterior part of the brain becomes long-lasting memory representations supported by the medial temporal lobe structures.
My second research focus is on training-related behavioral/neural plasticity. The ultimate goal of this research program is to find out what kind of cognitive training can elicit transferable neural plasticity and produce meaningful improvement in cognitive functions such as cognitive control and memory.
I use neuroimaging (fMRI and EEG), eye-tracking, and behavioral psychophysics experiments to investigate these questions.
My CV:
Lab Members
Ryan Stewart is currently completing a Master of Science degree in Clinical Health Psychology through the University of Michigan-Dearborn. His research interests and thesis are focused on understanding the relationship and intersection between the neural basis of behavior and personality traits; especially those that have broad-ranging clinical implications for interpersonal functioning and health-related decision making (such as impulsiveness and antisocial personality traits).
Tyler Tran is a senior at the University of Michigan - Dearborn, majoring in Psychology. Broadly, his academic interests include User Experience and Industrial / Organizational Psychology.
Liz Schmidt is a Senior at the University of Michigan Dearborn, dual-majoring in Behavioral and Biological Sciences (BBS) and Psychology, minoring in Biochemistry. She joined the lab in Fall ‘22 as a volunteer. She is also a volunteer in the Morrow Lab at UofM Ann Arbor where she is investigating sleep effects on emotional memory consolidation using an animal model. After graduating, Liz will be pursuing a PhD in Neuroscience to further investigate the relationship between sleep and memory.
Noora Ahmad is currently a sophomore at the University of Michigan-Dearborn, majoring in Biochemistry with a certificate in Writing. Noora is a pre-med, with a concentration in hearing sciences and auditory disorders. Her main area of interest is the mechanisms and evolution of cochlear implants.
Linta Hussain is currently a sophomore at the University of Michigan-Dearborn dual-majoring in Behavioral and Biological Sciences (BBS) and Business Studies with a concentration in Psychology and a minor in Applied Statistics. Linta is a pre-med student in the Honors Program and hopes to attend medical school in the future.
Alumni
Selen Atack (2023)
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Mariya Churina (2022)
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Alyssa Boye (2022)
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Nadia Aboumourad (2021)
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Sharmi Purkayestha (2020)
Seraj Farhat (2020)
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Beth Gibbons (2020)
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Katie Smith (2020)
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Sahar Elmenini (2020)
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Gabriella Oudsema (2019)
Luke Baker (2019)
Collaborators
Dr. Jennifer Ryan, The Rotman Research Institute in Baycrest Health Sciences, University of Toronto
Dr. Rosanna Olsen, The Rotman Research Institute in Baycrest Health Sciences, University of Toronto
Dr. Shayna Rosenbaum, York University, Toronto, Canada
Dr. Morris Moscovitch, University of Toronto
Dr. Cheryl Grady, The Rotman Research Institute, University of Toronto
Dr. Rosemary Tannock, The Hospital for Sick Children, University of Toronto
Dr. Steven Woltering, Texas A&M University