Tim Curran

Institute of Cognitive Sciences; Psychology; Member of the Center for Neuroscience

Department of Psychology, Campus Box 345
Muen. D465C
University of Colorado at Boulder
Boulder, CO 80309-0345

email: tcurran@psych.colorado.edu
Phone: 303-492-5040
FAX: 303-492-2967
Website: http://psych.colorado.edu/~tcurran

Dr. Curran's research focuses on human learning and memory. He approaches these topics from a cognitive neuroscience perspective with the goals of understanding the characteristics of mental processes and how they are realized within the brain. Dr. Curran's research uses behavioral methods derived from cognitive psychology, neuropsychological studies of the effects of brain injury, and neuroimaging methods (PET, fMRI, ERP). Most of his current research uses measures of brain electrical activity (ERPs) to study the brain processes that underlie recognition memory. In particular, ERPs are being used to dissociate the influences of recollection and familiarity on recognition memory. Other ongoing research, in collaboration with the Perceptual Expertise Network , uses ERPs to investigate the manner in which visual object recognition processes are influenced by expertise.

Selected Publications:

Curran, T., DeBuse, C., Woroch, B., & Hirshman, E. (2006). Combined pharmacological and electrophysiological dissociation of familiarity and recollection. Journal of Neuroscience, in Press.

Scott, L. S., Tanaka, J. W., Sheinberg, D. L., & Curran, T. (2006). A reevaluation of the electrophysiological correlates of expert object processing. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, in Press.

Frank, M. J., Woroch, B., & Curran, T. (2005). Error-related negativity predicts reinforcement learning and conflict biases. Neuron, 47, 495-501.

Curran, T. (2004). Effects of attention and confidence on the hypothesized ERP correlates of recollection and familiarity. Neuropsychologia, 42, 1088-1106.