Vita of Nicholas J. Cepeda, Ph.D.

York University
Department of Psychology
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, ON M3J 1P3

phone: 416-736-2100 x33266
lab: 416-736-2100 x44037
fax: 416-736-5814
email: ncepeda at yorku . ca
office: BSB 242
lab: Atkinson 527

Research Interests

Developmental changes in cognitive flexibility
Using cognitive psychology to enhance teaching and learning
- Distributed practice effect
- Testing and feedback influences
Improving cognitive flexibility and academic achievement
- Musical training effects

Academic Positions

York University
- Associate Professor, 2010-present
- Assistant Professor, 2006-2010
University of California, San Diego
- Assistant Project Scientist, 2004-2009
- Post-graduate Researcher, 2002-2004
University of Colorado, Boulder
- Research Associate, 2004-2006
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Research Assistant, 1998-2001

Education

University of Massachusetts, Amherst
- Attended Postdoctoral Respecialization in Clinical Psychology program, 2001-2002
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Ph.D., Perception and Performance Psychology, 2001
Vanderbilt University
- B.S., Psychology, 1995

Grants

SSHRC Small Research Grant (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Optimal learning schedules for long-term memory," 2012-2013
Research Development Fund, LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Musical training and cognition," 2012
Minor Research Grant (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "General academic benefits from musical training," 2011-2012
Research Development Fund, LaMarsh Centre for Child and Youth Research (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Enhancing critical thinking skills with the spacing effect," 2011
Rosh Foundation, Mount Sinai Hospital (Toronto, ON)
- Principal Investigator, "Chronic pain management group program benefits and the role of attention in outcome," 2011-2013
Leaders Opportunity Fund, Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
- Principal Investigator, "Developmental cognitive neuroscience laboratory for theoretical and applied neuroeducation research," 2011
Standard Research Grant, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
- Principal Investigator, "Enhancing cognitive flexibility and academic achievement through musical training," 2010-2013
Research Development Fund, LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Connecting cognitive psychology to the classroom," 2010
Teaching-Learning Development Grant, York University Faculty Association (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Incorporating technology into the classroom," 2009-2010
SSHRC Small Research Grant (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Encoding and retaining live lecture content: Expanding the learning technique toolkit," 2009-2010
Minor Research Grant (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Lectures as a learning environment," 2009-2010
Junior Faculty Fund (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Effects of a healthy breakfast on cognitive flexibility and academic achievement," 2009-2010
Teaching-Learning Development Grant, York University Faculty Association (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Optimizing learning in undergraduate classrooms," 2009-2010
Minor Research Grant (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Musical training and executive function in adults," 2008-2009
Junior Faculty Fund (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Musical training and executive function in adults," 2008-2009
Research Development Fund, LaMarsh Centre for Research on Violence and Conflict Resolution (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Musical training and children's executive function development," 2008
Teaching-Learning Development Grant, York University Faculty Association (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Optimizing learning in undergraduate classrooms," 2008-2009
Minor Research Grant (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Musical training and children's executive function development," 2008-2009
SSHRC Small Research Grant (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Optimizing learning in undergraduate classrooms," 2007-2008
Junior Faculty Fund (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Effects of a nutrition intervention on reading comprehension and academic achievement," 2007-2008
Minor Research Grant (York University)
- Principal Investigator, "Components of cognitive flexibility in children," 2007-2008
Innovative Research Award, Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind (UCSD)
- Co-Principal Investigator (with Gedeon Deák), "Developing adaptive minds: Neural and behavioral dynamics of cognitive flexibility in childhood," 2006-2007
Cognition and Student Learning, Institute of Education Sciences (US Department of Education)
- Co-Principal Investigator (PI: Hal Pashler), R305H040108, "Optimizing resistance to forgetting," 2004-2007

Fellowships and Awards

Dean's Health Research Catalyst Award (York University), 2010
National Institute of Mental Health Psychophysiology Training Grant Fellowship, 1996-1998
University Fellowship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), 1995-1996
Liberal Arts and Sciences Fellowship (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), 1995-1996

Journal Publications and Book Chapters

Invited Talks

Cepeda, N. J. (2012, February). Using transfer of training to improve cognitive performance. Invited talk at the University of California, Merced, Psychology Department, Merced, CA.
Cepeda, N. J. (2011, April). Using cognitive psychology to improve learning and retention. Invited talk at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Psychology Department, Champaign, IL.
Cepeda, N. J. (2011, March). Improving teaching and learning: Lessons from psychology. Invited talk at the Brain Power Initiative meeting, Toronto, ON.
Cepeda, N. J. (2011, January). Using cognitive psychology to improve educational achievement. Invited talk at the University of California, Merced, Psychology Department, Merced, CA.
Cepeda, N. J. (2009, December). Development of cognitive flexibility: Contributions from working memory and inhibition. Invited talk at Rotman Research Institute / Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, ON.
Cepeda, N. J. (2008, January). Development of executive function. Invited talk at the University of California, Davis, Center for Mind and Brain and Human Development and Family Studies, Davis, CA.
Cepeda, N. J. (2007, May). Decomposing executive function: No inhibition necessary? Invited talk at Rotman Research Institute / Baycrest Hospital, Toronto, ON.
Cepeda, N. J. (2007, February). Components of cognitive flexibility. Invited talk at the University of Western Ontario, Psychology Department, London, ON.
Cepeda, N. J. (2006, February). Adaptive memory mechanisms. Invited talk at York University, Psychology Department, Toronto, ON.
Cepeda, N. J. (2006, January). Adaptive memory mechanisms. Invited talk at the University of California, Los Angeles, Psychology Department, Los Angeles, CA.
Cepeda, N. J. (2005, November). Adaptive memory mechanisms: Theory and application. Invited talk at Michigan State University, Psychology Department, East Lansing, MI.
Cepeda, N. J. (2004, October). Cognitive flexibility deficits in children with ADHD. Invited talk at the University of California, San Diego, Cognitive Science Department, La Jolla, CA.
Cepeda, N. J. (2004, March). Flexible cognition in preschoolers. Invited talk at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Munakata Lab / Cognitive Development Center, Boulder, CO.
Cepeda, N. J. (2004, April). Maximizing long-term retention with distributed practice. Invited talk at the University of Oklahoma, Psychology Department, Norman, OK.
Cepeda, N. J. (2000). Cognitive processing: Task switching across the life-span. Grand rounds in Psychiatry, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, AL.
Cepeda, N. J. (1999). Response interference and preparatory capacity in children with ADHD. Grand rounds in Psychiatry, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, AL.
Cepeda, N. J. (1998). Deficits in attention: ADHD and task switching. Grand rounds in Psychiatry, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, AL.
Cepeda, N. J. (1997). Attentional deficits in children with ADHD. Grand rounds in Psychiatry, University of South Alabama College of Medicine, Mobile, AL.

Papers, Posters, and Published Abstracts

Moradzadeh, L., Blumenthal, G., D’Souza, A., & Cepeda, N. J. (2012, May). The impact of musical training and bilingualism on dual task performance. Poster session presented at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Sana, F., Weston, T., & Cepeda, N. J. (2012, May). Laptops hinder classroom learning. Poster session presented at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Paneduro, D., Tsering, T., Sikakane, T., & Cepeda, N. J. (2012, April). Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR): The role of mindfulness, homework, and treatment expectancy in improving psychological health outcomes. Poster session presented at the International Symposia for Contemplative Studies, Denver, CO.
Simone, P. M., Bell, M. C., & Cepeda, N. J. (2011, November). Distributed practice compensates for the associative memory impairment in older adults. Poster session presented at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA.
Moradzadeh, L., Rahn, J., & Cepeda, N. J. (2011, June). The impact of musical training and bilingualism on task switching. Poster session presented at the Canadian Psychological Association Annual Meeting, Toronto, ON.
Moradzadeh, L., Rahn, J., & Cepeda, N. J. (2011, May). Advantages of complex working memory but not speed in musicians vs. controls. Poster session presented at the Association for Psychological Science Annual Meeting, Washington, DC.
Narasimham, G., Cepeda, N. J., & Deák, G. O. (2011, April). Development of rule-switching flexibility: Comparing preschoolers' performance on standard, complex and computerized card-sort tests. Poster session presented at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Montreal, QC.
Roberts, J. L., Cepeda, N. J., & Rosenbaum, R. S. (2011, April). The influence of list position and early onset hippocampal damage on the lag effect. Poster session presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
Kapler, I. V., Weston, T., & Cepeda, N. J. (2010, November). Extending the spacing effect beyond fact learning in a mock classroom setting. Poster session presented at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO.
Moreno, S., Barac, R., Cepeda, N. J., Schellenberg, E. G., Chau, T., & Bialystok, E. (2010, April). Training software increases early childhood brain development and intelligence. Poster session presented at the Seventeenth Annual Cognitive Neuroscience Society Meeting, Montréal, QC.
Lindsey, R., Mozer, M. C., Cepeda, N. J., & Pashler, H. (2009). Optimizing memory retention with cognitive models. Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Cognitive Modeling, Manchester, UK.
Mozer, M. C., Pashler, H., Cepeda, N. J., & Lindsey, R. (2009, November). Predicting the optimal spacing of study: A multiscale context model. Poster session presented at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, Boston, MA.
Blackwell, K. A., Cepeda, N. J., & Munakata, Y. (2009, October). Stop one thing or stop everything: Developmental trade-offs in global vs. selective inhibition. Poster session presented at the Cognitive Development Society Biennial Meeting, San Antonio, TX.
Blackwell, K. A., Cepeda, N. J., & Munakata, Y. (2009, April). Why do children perseverate? Contributions from working memory and directed inhibition to flexible behavior. Poster session presented at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Denver, CO.
Ng, C. K., & Cepeda, N. J. (2009, April). Task switching: Contributions from working memory strength and inhibition. Poster session presented at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Denver, CO.
Paneduro, D., Kharitonova, M., & Cepeda, N. J. (2008, November). Effects of bilingualism on flexibility and abstract reasoning. Poster session presented at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Sobel, H. S., Kapler, I. V., & Cepeda, N. J. (2008, November). Distributed practice in real-world classroom vocabulary learning. Poster session presented at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Carpenter, S. K., Cepeda, N. J., Alvarez, D., & Pashler, H. (2007, November). Applying the principles of testing and spacing to long-term retention of course information. Poster session presented at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, Long Beach, CA.
Carpenter, S. K., Pashler, H., Cepeda, N. J., & Alvarez, D. (2007). Applying the principles of testing and spacing to classroom learning. In D. S. McNamara & J. G. Trafton (Eds.), Proceedings of the 29th Annual Cognitive Science Society Meeting (p. 19). Nashville, TN: Cognitive Science Society.
Carpenter, S. K., Pashler, H., Cepeda, N. J., & Vul, E. (2007, April). How does timing of feedback affect recall of facts and names? Paper presented at the American Educational Research Assocition Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Carpenter, S. K., Pashler, H., Rohrer, D., & Cepeda, N. J. (2007, August). Does forced guessing cause one to learn the wrong answer? Poster session presented at the American Psychological Association Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.
Cepeda, N. J., & Deák, G. O. (2007, March). Children's word learning: Individual differences in flexible use of semantic cues. Poster session presented at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Boston, MA.
Cepeda, N. J., McQuiston, S., Wright, M., Ryan, M., Scott, J., & Munakata, Y. (2007, March). Object permanence knowledge in 5-month-old infants: A graded working memory account. Poster session presented at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Boston, MA.
Eisen, M., & Cepeda, N. J. (2007, November). Effects of a nutrition intervention on reading comprehension and academic achievement. Queen's National Undergraduate Conference on Medicine, Kingston, ON.
Holt, A. E., Deák, G. O., Cepeda, N. J., & Čeponienė, R. (2007, October). ERP and behavioral measures of task-switching efficiency in preschool children. Poster session presented at the Cognitive Development Society Biennial Meeting, Santa Fe, NM.
Holt, A. E., Deák, G. O., Cepeda, N. J., & Čeponienė, R. (2007, October). ERP and behavioral measures of task-switching efficiency in preschool children. Poster session presented at the Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Narasimham, G., Deák, G. O., & Cepeda, N. J. (2007, October). Individual differences in rule-switching flexibility: Comparing children's performance on the DCCS and the 3-DCCS. Poster session presented at the Cognitive Development Society Biennial Meeting, Santa Fe, NM.
Carpenter, S. K., Pashler, H., Cepeda, N. J., & Vul, E. (2006, November). Effects of feedback timing on retention of facts and names. Poster session presented at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, Houston, TX.
Cepeda, N. J. (2005, October). Development of processes underlying task switching in ADHD and non-ADHD children and adolescents. Paper presented at the Cognitive Development Society Biennial Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Cepeda, N. J., Deák, G. O., Sedlik, S., & Weisser, R. (2005, April). Individual and age differences in preschool children's flexible cognition. Poster session presented at the Society for Research in Child Development Biennial Meeting, Atlanta, GA.
Cepeda, N. J., & Munakata, Y. (2005, October). What mechanisms underlie task shifts - directed inhibition, or working memory plus competition? Poster session presented at the Cognitive Development Society Biennial Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., & Vul, E. (2005, November). Distributed practice and long-term retention: A ratio rule for optimal inter-study interval to retention interval? Poster session presented at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, Toronto, ON.
Pashler, H., Rohrer, D., Cepeda, N. J., & Wixted, J. T. (2005, May). Optimizing resistance to forgetting. Paper presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA.
Pashler, H., Carpenter, S. K., Rohrer, D., & Cepeda, N. J. (2005, November). Does being forced to guess make one learn the wrong answer? Paper presented at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, Toronto, ON.
Cepeda, N. J., Pashler, H., Wixted, J. T., & Rohrer, D. (2004, April). Effects of spacing of practice on long-term retention of knowledge. Poster session presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Pashler, H., Cepeda, N. J., Rohrer, D., & Wixted, J. T. (2004, November). The spacing effect: Useful or just interesting?. Paper presented at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, Minneapolis, MN.
Pashler, H., Rohrer, D., Cepeda, N. J., & Wixted, J. T. (2004, May). Feedback and learning: A fine-grained analysis. Poster session presented at the American Psychological Society Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL.
Rohrer, D., Taylor, K., Pashler, H., Cepeda, N. J., & Wixted, J. T. (2004, April). Overlearning: A bad way to boost long-term retention. Poster session presented at the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA.
Cepeda, N. J., & Pashler, H. (2003, November). Maximizing long-term retention: How much spacing is useful? Poster session presented at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC.
Cepeda, N. J., Cepeda, M. L., & Kramer, A. F. (2000, October). Active and passive task switching components in children with ADHD. Poster session presented at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting, New York, NY.
Cepeda, N. J., Gonzalez de Sather, J. C. M., & Kramer, A. F. (2000, April). Task switching across the life-span. Poster session presented at the Cognitive Aging Conference, Atlanta, GA.
DiGirolamo, G. J., Kramer, A. F., Barad, V., Cepeda, N. J., Weissman, D. H., Milham, M. P., Wszalek, T. M., Cohen, N. J., Banich, M. T., Webb, A., & Belopolsky, A. V. (2000, April). General and task-specific frontal lobe recruitment in older adults during executive processes: An fMRI investigation of task-switching. Paper presented at the Cognitive Aging Conference, Atlanta, GA.
Cepeda, N. J., Cepeda, M. L., Allen, F. H., & Kramer, A. F. (1998, October). Covert orienting in children with ADHD and matched controls. Poster session presented at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA.
Cepeda, N. J., Cepeda, M. L., & Kramer, A. F. (1998, October). Deficits during non-predictable task switching in children with ADHD. Poster session presented at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting, Anaheim, CA.
Cepeda, N. J., Cepeda, M. L., Allen, F. H., & Kramer, A. F. (1997). Attentional performance of children and adults with sickle cell disease. In Twenty-second Annual National Sickle Cell Disease Program, Abstract #163, p. 220.
Cepeda, N. J., Cepeda, M. L., Allen, F. H., & Kramer, A. F. (1997, October). Task switching in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. Poster session presented at the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Annual Meeting, Toronto, ON.
Cave, K. R., & Cepeda, N. J. (1995). Spatial accuracy of attention when selecting a target among distractors. Investigative Opthamology & Visual Science, 36, S900.
Cepeda, N. J., Hiris, E., & Blake, R. (1994, November). Memory for visual motion. Poster session presented at the Psychonomic Society Annual Meeting, St. Louis, MO.

Teaching

York University
- Developmental Neuropsychology (Graduate)
- Educational Psychology
- Research Methodology in Developmental Psychology (Graduate)
- Seminar in Developmental Psychology
- Seminar in Educational Psychology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Introduction to Experimental Psychology (Teaching Assistant)

Masters Students

York University
- Tina Weston (2011): The influence of learning method on memory of verbal information: A comparison of writing and typing
- Irina Kapler (2009): Using curriculum material to evaluate the spacing effect in undergraduate classroom
- Linda Moradzadeh (2009): Components of cognitive flexibility in adults
- Charisa Ng (2009): The development of cognitive flexibility in elementary school-aged children: Contributions from working memory strength and inhibition
- Denise Paneduro (2008): Effects of bilingualism on flexibility and abstract representations

Honors Students

York University
- Mikko Mason (2012): Music and inhibition: Interference suppression and response inhibition in musicians and non-musicians
- Vanessa Foot (2012): Musical training and dual task performance
- Elnaz Moghimi (2012): Glycemic index of breakfast and its role in enhancing cognitive performance
- Tammy Sikakane (2012): Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program and anxiety: A closer look
- Nora Kharouba (2011): Keeping the beat alive: Musicianship effects on working memory strength
- Tenzing Tsering (2011): Relationship between adherence to homework, mindfulness, and psychological outcomes in a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) group
- Leah Kaplan (2011): The importance of a healthy breakfast on cognitive performance
- Gaby Lebkov (2011): The effects of musicianship and bilingualism on non-verbal and verbal intelligence
- Julia Wreford (2010): The effect of breakfast on cognitive performance
- Holleh Daemi (2010): The effects of distracting technology in classrooms
- Michelle Baron (2009): The role of graded working memory and inhibitory processes in the development of school aged children
- Rebecca Morgan (2009): Is working memory strength dissociable from working memory capacity?
- Gilda Cheung (2009): The involvement of inhibition in the updating task N-back
- Michelle Eisen (2008): Effects of a nutrition intervention on reading comprehension
- Natasha Jamal (2008): Using critical thinking tests to optimize student learning and later recall
- Laura Pynn (2008): Bilingualism and abstract working memory
- Lily Y. Lieu (2007): Task switching: Active working memory in bilingual children
- Hailey S. Sobel (2007): The spacing effect: Reducing the gap between laboratory research and practical application

Editorial Boards and Editorships

Associate Editor, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 2011-present
Editorial Board, The Open Psychology Journal, 2007-present