Kaoru Nashiro
Address: 3715 McClintock Ave.
University of Southern
California
Los Angeles, CA 90089
Email: nashiro@usc.edu
Curriculum Vitae: pdf
Research
Description:
My research focuses on how emotion influences attention,
memory and learning in older and younger and adults. For my dissertation, I am
using behavioral and fMRI methods to examine age-related similarities and
differences in the effects of emotion on cognitive functions (e.g., associative
memory, memory updating, reversal learning). My goal is to identify general
strategies for improving older adults’ cognitive performance by understanding
how the aging brain processes information during various learning and memory
paradigms.
Publications:
Nashiro, K., Sakaki, M., Nga, L.,
& Mather, M. (2012). Differential brain activity during emotional vs.
non-emotional reversal learning. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 24, 1794-1805. pdf
Nashiro, K., Sakaki, M., Huffman, D., & Mather, M.
(2012). Both younger and older adults have difficulty updating emotional
memories. Journal of
Gerontology: Psychological Sciences. pdf
Nashiro, K., Sakaki, M.,
& Mather, M. (2012). Age differences in brain activity during emotion
processing: Reflections of age-related decline or increased emotion regulation?
Gerontology, 58, 156-163. pdf
Nashiro, K., & Mather, M. (2011). The effect of
emotional arousal on memory binding in normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease. American Journal of
Psychology, 124, 301-312. pdf
Nashiro, K., Mather, M, Gorlick, M., & Nga, L.
(2011). Negative emotional outcomes impair older adults’ reversal learning. Cognition and Emotion, 25, 1014-1028. pdf
Nashiro, K., & Mather, M. (2011). How arousal
affects younger and older adults' memory binding. Experimental Aging
Research, 37, 108-128. pdf
Presentations:
Nashiro, K., Sakaki, M., Nga, L., & Mather, M. (2011, November). Differential
neural activity during emotional vs. non-emotional reversal learning. Poster
presented at the Annual Meeting of the Psychonomic Society, Seattle, WA.
Nashiro, K., Sakaki, M., Nga, L., & Mather, M. (2011, August). Differential neural
activity during emotional vs. non-emotional reversal learning. Paper presented
at Bay Area Memory Meeting (BAMM), Berkeley, CA.
Nashiro, K., Nga, L., & Mather, M. (2011, April). Differential neural activity during
emotional vs. non-emotional reversal learning. Poster presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual
Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
Nashiro, K., Mather, M, Gorlick, M., & Nga, L. (2010, November). Negative
emotional outcomes impair older adults’ reversal learning? Paper presented at a
symposium chaired by Nashiro, K. at the Gerontological Society of America
Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
Nashiro, K., & Mather, M. (2009, May). Emotional vs. non-emotional reversal
learning in Alzheimer’s disease. Poster presented at the Association for
Psychological Science Annual Meeting, San
Francisco, CA.
Nashiro, K., & Mather, M. (2009, November). Does emotional content enhance older
adults’ and Alzheimer’s disease patients’ memory binding? Paper presented “Cognitive
Issues In Dementia Session” chaired by Nashiro, K. at the Gerontological
Society of America Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Nashiro, K., & Mather, M. (2008, November). Does emotional content help
Alzheimer’s disease patients learn more effectively? Paper presented at the
Gerontological Society of America Annual Meeting, National Harbor, MD.
Nashiro K., & Mather, M. (2008,
June). Emotional vs. logical learning in Alzheimer’s disease: Positive
emotional content helps AD patients learn effectively. Poster presented at
Alzheimer's Disease Research Update Day, Los Angeles, CA
Awards
and Honors:
2012 Heinz
Osterburg Prize link
2010 - 2012 National
Institute on Aging (NIA), Multidisciplinary Research Training Fellowship link
2010 American Psychological
Association Div 20 Award for Completed Research link
2007 David Peterson Fellowship
2006 NIA - MERIT Underrepresented Diversity
Supplement Program Scholarship
2005 SUMMA CUM LAUDE from CSU East Bay
2003 Robert Stenger Scholarship
2002 Rourke Family Foundation Scholarship
2002 American Association of University Women
Scholarship