Principal Investigator

Michael Miller

Professor and Interim Dean of Undergraduate Education

Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College, 1998

B.A. in Psychology, San Francisco State University, 1994

In 1999, Dr. Michael Miller became an assistant professor at the Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Boston. In 2002, he joined the faculty at UCSB. His research studying the cognitive neuroscience of human memory, decision-making, and individual differences have utilized various techniques including fMRI, EEG, TMS, tDCS and patient testing. Professor Miller is the chair of the department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, vice director of the Sage Center for the Study of the Mind, editor of The Year in Cognitive Neuroscience, and a co-leader of the Cognitive Neuroscience Task Order within the Institute for Collaborative Biotechnologies.

  Psychology East (Building 251), Room 3835

  michael.miller@psych.ucsb.edu

  UCSB Faculty Page

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Post-doctoral Fellows

Tyler Santander

Post-doctoral Fellow

Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology, University of Virginia, 2017

B.A. Psychology and Political Science, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2011



  Psychology East (Building 251), Room 0814A

  tyler.santander@psych.ucsb.edu

  Github Account

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Evan Layher

Post-doctoral Fellow

Ph.D. in Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2022

B.A.S. in Psychology and Neurobiology, Physiology, & Behavior, University of California, Davis, 2012

My research investigates the neural mechanisms of episodic memory and decision-making via single neuron recordings in epilepsy patients. This research is conducted in collaboration with Dr. Ueli Rutishauser at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.

  Psychology East (Building 251), Room 0814

  evan.layher@cshs.org / layher@psych.ucsb.edu

  Github Account

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Graduate Students

Selin Bekir

Graduate Student

B.A. in Psychology and Philosophy, Bogazici University (Istanbul, Turkey), 2020

I am interested in studying hemispheric asymmetry in various cognitive functions, motivated by the split-brain research. Specifically, how the left and the right frontal neural networks contribute to belief formation and belief updating when facing incomplete and ambiguous information that changes over time. With the use of fMRI and HD-tDCS, I hope to learn more about the individual differences in interpreting and integrating information.

  Psychology East (Building 251), Room 0814

Courtney Durdle

Graduate Student

B.A.S. in Human Development and Psychology, University of California, Davis, 2014

I am interested in studying the neural processes of emotion recognition and regulation, specifically their effect on cognition, decision-making, and memory. With the use of fMRI, I hope to learn more about these aspects of human behavior through their underlying networks. In the future, I plan to use my research to inform legal actors and policies.

  Psychology East (Building 251), Room 0814

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Sara Leslie

Graduate Student





  Psychology East (Building 251), Room 0814

Luna Li

Graduate Student





  Psychology East (Building 251), Room 0814

Henri Skinner

Graduate Student

B.S. in Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, Min. Biology, University of California, San Diego, 2019



  Psychology East (Building 251), Room 0814

Christina Boardman

Visiting Scholar

M. Sc. in Neuroscience, University of Strasbourg (France), 2019

B.A. in Cognitive Neuroscience, Scripps College, 2012

I am a visiting scholar in the Miller Lab. My primary research focus is studying the neural mechanisms of memory and learning in social decisions. I am particularly passionate about social decisions that differentially affect marginalized individuals. In the Miller lab, I am using signal detection theory to model criterion shifting in a security patrol paradigm. My goal is to identify EEG oscillations and ERPs related to criterion shifting.

  Psychology East (Building 251), Room 0814

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Lab Manager

Jessica Simonson

Lab Manager

B.S. in Psychological and Brain Sciences, Min. Italian Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2022

  jessicasimonson@ucsb.edu

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Study Coordinator

Kaitlyn Deen

Study Coordinator

B.S. in Psychological and Brain Sciences, Min. Applied Psych, University of California, Santa Barbara, 2022

  kaitlyndeen@ucsb.edu

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Research Assistants

Ayra Bandeli

Research Assistant

Major: Biopsychology

Angelo Joseph Bulahan

Research Assistant

Major: Biopsychology
Minor: Applied Psychology, Technology Management Program

Manasvi Chandra

Research Assistant

Major: Biopsychology

Ziyuan Chen

Research Assistant

B.S. in Cognitive Science with Specialization in Computing, Min. Statistics, University of California, Los Angeles 2022

Jasmine Chuey

Research Assistant

Major: Psychological and Brain Sciences
Minor: Applied Psychology

Rosalyn Collins

Research Assistant

Joseph Gibbons

Research Assistant

Joyce He

Research Assistant

Cary Higgins

Research Assistant

Major: Psychological and Brain Sciences

Emma Jedrzejewski

Research Assistant

Eleanor Khan

Research Assistant

Major: Psychological and Brain Sciences

Hannah Kim

Research Assistant

Major: Psychological and Brain Sciences
Minor: Education

Grace Liu

Research Assistant

Anoushka Menon

Research Assistant

Patrick Sweeney

Research Assistant

Major: Psychological and Brain Sciences

Claudine Ushana

Research Assistant

Major 1: Biopsychology
Major 2: Sociology

Alissa Wong

Research Assistant

Major: Psychological and Brain Sciences
Minor: Applied Psychology

Eden Yared

Research Assistant

Major: Psychological and Brain Sciences
Minor: Applied Psychology

Emily Yi

Research Assistant

Major: Psychological and Brain Sciences

Tongxi Yu

Research Assistant

Lab Alumni