Erik Wing (Rotman Research Institute)

Presenter: Erik Wing (Rotman Research Institute)

Title: The Structure of Memory Representations: Expertise, Knowledge and Aging

Abstract:

Knowledge and experience play a central role in shaping memory. Episodic retrieval relies on the partial reactivation of neural patterns established during initial event processing, which is itself influenced by factors like attention and prior knowledge. I will discuss how hippocampal and cortical systems interact to support these representational dynamics, and how domain expertise changes the nature of cognitive representations, thereby affecting later memory. These questions are particularly relevant in the context of aging, where knowledge is often well-preserved even as episodic memory declines. By examining how established knowledge interacts with episodic mechanisms, this line of research seeks to identify principles by which experience can be used to support cognition across the lifespan.

This is a virtual talk and will be held on Zoom: https://uvic.zoom.us/j/5855919463?pwd=NlNSdE02RVlKQUVtRVUzL3lWM0xMdz09