CAN Lab
Meet our lab's current members!
Current Members
Principal Investigator
Karin James, PhD
My research program centers around the idea that direct, physical interactions with the environment changes the brain processing that underlies learning, and is important for the acquisition of many cognitive skills. To study this brain-behavior interaction, I use psychophysical methods and use functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) as a tool to assess brain plasticity as a result of certain experiences. Because I am interested in how we initially learn, many of my studies are centered upon very young children. Understanding early experiences is the key to understanding how we function as adults.
I am a member of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, where my areas of specialty are Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience and Developmental Psychology. I am also a member of the Program in Neuroscience and the Cognitive Science Program.
Courses Regularly Taught Include:
| Cognitive Neuroscience (P349) |
| Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (P410) |
| Developmental Psychology (P315) |
| Human Neuropsychology (P423) |
Graduate Students
Rebecca Bove, MS
Rebecca is a third year doctoral student with a focus in developmental psychology. Broadly, she is interested in how drawing influences learning in children. Currently, she is working on a couple of different projects that focus on how drawing is used as an encoding tool for children and how drawing affects early literacy and cognitive skills.
Hellen Kyler, BA
Hellen is a second-year doctoral student focused in cognitive psychology. Hellen is interested in visual and haptic object recognition (cross and within modal), multisensory object interactions, active manual control of objects, viewpoint effects, and the visual system.
Gabrielle Shimko, BA
Gabrielle is a third year doctoral student with a focus in clinical science. Her program of research broadly prioritizes understanding the interactive relationship between attention and fine motor skills throughout typical development and in individuals with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Particularly, Gabrielle is interested in how handwriting abilities affect learning and classroom engagement in young children and in college students.
Research Assistants
Annie Abioye
Annie is a senior from Munster, IN and majoring in neuroscience and sociology with a minor in psychology. She is involved with Residence Hall Association and volunteers at the Hoosier Hills Foodbank. After graduation, she plans on attending medical school to pursue an MD-PhD in neuroscience. She is an Honors Thesis student and assists Rebecca with studies on drawing and memory in children.
Naman Satsangi
Naman is a junior majoring in neuroscience. Naman enjoys exercising, playing and watching basketball, and trying new cuisines at local Bloomington restaurants. In the CANLab, Naman helps Hellen in her studies concerning object recognition by recruiting participants and running experiments on active versus passive object exploration. In the future, Naman hopes to attend medical school and potentially pursue an MD/PhD program.
Brooke Breymeyer
Brooke is a junior from Saint John, IN. She is majoring in psychology and minoring in counseling. Her research interests include, but are not limited to, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and fMRI. She is also interested in working with and studying children. In the future, she would like to pursue her master's degree as well as a PhD. Then, she intends to go on to become a licensed mental health counselor.
Danny Cervantes
Danny is a fourth year student working towards his B.S. in Psychology with a Neuroscience certificate and a minor in Biology. He enjoys going to the gym, playing video games, and exploring the grandeur and beauty of the world. In the lab, Danny recruits child participants, codes object exploration videos, and helps run child participants. In the future, he hopes to secure a post-bacc research position and attend graduate school to become a professor.
Sierra Leake
Sierra is a sophomore from Bloomington, Indiana majoring in Clinical Psychological Science and minoring in Spanish and Ethnomusicology. She enjoys tap dancing and reading when not in the lab. Her future plans are to work in a lab full-time and to travel around the country instructing educators in new learning techniques. She works with Rebecca on her research project looking at drawing and memory in children. Most of her time in the lab has been spent processing data Rebecca has collected in the last few months.
Taylor Cleary
Taylor is a senior from Fishers, IN. She is majoring in psychology with minors in speech language hearing sciences and criminal justice. After graduation, she plans on attending graduate school to get her masters and then work with children, potentially as a child psychologist.
Janie Vanoverwalle
Janie is a junior majoring in psychology and neuroscience. In her free time, she enjoys crocheting and binging Netflix. She also loves to spend time with her bunny, Louis! She hopes to attend graduate school to pursue cognitive psychology research in the future. In the CANLab, she is helping Hellen gather data for her research by recruiting children and coding videos of object exploration. Hellen's work on haptics are fascinating to her, and she is excited to be a part of the research process.
Abhinav Kotaru
Abhinav is a senior from South Bend, IN studying clinical psychology and philosophy. His research interests pertain to sensation and perception of 3D objects. After graduating, he hopes to get a master’s degree in mental health counseling and ultimately become a psychotherapist.
Carson Lane
Carson is a senior from Bloomington, Illinois majoring in psychology and minoring in youth development. She is a member of the IU Psychology Club executive board and as well as the Student Advocates for Youth and Families. Post graduation, her plans are to attend graduate school and earn a Master's in Pediatric Occupational Therapy. She helps Rebecca with her studies on how drawing affects child learning and memory.
Ayush Panda
Ayush is a senior from Columbus, IN and majoring in neuroscience and psychology. Outside of the lab he is the founder and chief executive officer of Astraios LLC, the founder and president of the Triathlon Club at IU, and the president of Psychology Club. His research interests are related to studying the connections between attention and fine motor capabilities using methods such as fMRI. Within CANLab, he has increased his knowledge and curiosity through assisting Gabrielle with her work on ADHD in college students. After graduation, he plans to attend medical school to become a neurosurgeon and facilitate the development of modern medical facilities for underprivileged areas of the world.
Hunter Will
Hunter is a senior majoring in psychology from the Indianapolis area. He is interested in studying memory and neurodevelopment. Outside the lab, he is interested in exercising, writing, and generally enjoys being creative. In the future, he hopes to attend medical school and become a psychiatrist.
Bethany Towriss
Bethany is a sophomore from Seymour, IN. She is majoring in clinical psychology and minoring in Italian and nutrition. Her interests include mental health disorders, childhood development and learning disabilities, specifically OCD and ADHD. She plans to further her education by pursing a PhD in Clinical or Developmental Psychology and hopes to practice as a licensed psychologist one day.