Brain, Mind and Consciousness Lab

" 'Thoughts' and 'things' are names for two sorts of object, which common sense will always find contrasted and will always practically oppose to each other."

- William James (1904)
Does ‘Consciousness’ Exist

BMC Lab Members

Anthony I. Jack, PhD - Principal Investigator

I have a PhD in Experimental Psychology and extensive training in Philosophy and Neuroscience. I started out doing largely theoretical work on consciousness, but then got interested by the emerging field of brain imaging. I use fMRI to study attention, consciousness and social processing in the brain.

Personal Home Page:
http://tony.jack.googlepages.com/

Regina Cesaro

Regina Cesaro - Lab Manager

Started June 2008:

Gina graduated from Denison University in May 2008 with a B.S. in Psychology and a Concentration in Neuroscience. She is excited be working in the BMC Lab in order to absorb as much experience and knowledge as she can before embarking on grad school, where she hopes to complete a Ph.D. in Neuroscience.

Kateyln Begany - Research Assistant

Started May 2008:

I am an undergraduate student pursuing majors in Cognitive Science and Philosophy at Case Western Reserve University. I am interested in all fields of Cognitive Science and am excited to see how this new research will enhance philosophical inquiry.

Rochelle Hudson - Student researcher

Started May 2009:

I am an undergraduate at Case, majoring in Cognitive Science and Evolutionary Biology, with a minor in Math. I am working on two fMRI projects in the BMC Lab. The first compares the processing of familiar and unfamiliar faces in partients with Capgras dementia, Alzheimer's dementia and frontotemporal dementia. The second looks at judgements of attachment, attractiveness and neotony in undergraduates.

		Kevin Barry - Student researcher
		Started January 2009: I am an undergraduate researcher majoring in cognitive science and mathematics. I primarily perform statistical analyses of fMRI imagery, and I program Linux (tools as necessary) to make data analysis and viewing easier. My two major projects are a resting-state gender-differences study and a data-mining application used to cross-reference large quantities of data for various purposes. My campus involvement outside of the lab includes the Baja SAE team.

		Rebecca Gans - Student researcher
		Started June 2009: I am a SOURCE funded researcher working over the summer of 2009 on the project "Individual differences in empathy, rationality and legal judgement." I am a rising junior majoring in Cognitive Science, Psychology and Sociology. I am interested in incorporating a social consciousness into research on human cognition. I hope to eventually earn a Ph.D. in Neuroscience.

Andrea Hayes - Summer researcher

Started May 2009:

I am an undergraduate psychology major at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. I am involved in a project that studies how specific activities influence moral decision making, emotional intelligence and empathy. My interest is in bridging the gap between laboratory research and its functional application into everyday life and clinical settings.

Megan Norr - Summer researcher

Started June 2009:

I am an undergraduate at Case Western Reserve University, majoring in Cognitive Science, English, and French. For the summer, I have received SOURCE funding to continue the project Culture, Mind and Morality. My specific take on the project places a greater emphasis on the effect of mindfulness tasks on emotional response, empathy and moral judgment.

Pauline Varley - Summer Volunteer

Started June 2009:

Pauline is a junior at Laurel High School. Her future career aspirations lie with the sciences: she is especially interested in neuromodulated prosthetic technology and all forms of cognitive science.

Lab Alumni

Brooke Schepp - Research Assistant

August 2007- March 2008

I am a recent graduate from Case Western Reserve University! thats pretty much all there is to say there. I am staying in the Cleveland area for another two years to continue my research. I am working in two labs, TAing, and hopefully saving up the money for graduate school.
I'm also a huge Case geek and I know more about Star Wars and Lord of the Rings then you know about yourself.

Michael Barrie - Lab Manager, Research Assistant

January 2008 - July 2008

I am a recent graduate from CWRU, and will be working in the lab through this summer 2008. I graduated with a degree in biology and a minor in philosophy, focusing mainly on neuroscience. In August I will start at the Ohio State College of Medicine.

Viyan Udawatta - Student researcher

May - August 2008:

Mike is working on the 'maps in the brain' project, using matlab to assess topographic organization through novel analyzes of fMRI data.

Mike says: "I am an undergraduate at the University of Notre Dame majoring in mathematics. I am very interested in the sciences and am enjoying the opportunity to participate in this research project for summer."