Donna Kwan
Ph.D. Candidate
d5kwan@yorku.ca

My research interests fall into three broad categories:

Mental simulation and autobiographical memory: I’m interested in memory disorders and associated brain lesions.  I study such neuropsychological populations to understand the neural underpinnings and cognitive processes underlying the human ability to recollect personal memories, simulate hypothetical life events and scenarios, and envision future experiences. 

Neuroeconomics:  A related line of work focuses on the cognitive neuroscience of judgment, reasoning, and decision-making.  Specifically I’m investigating how (or if) we draw on memories or mental simulation to accomplish these tasks.  An additional question in my research is how the passage of time (real or imagined) affects how we think, reason, judge, and decide.

Clinical applications: This third category of interest focuses on drawing connections between theoretical research and clinical application.  I’m interested in how research can be applied to help individuals with memory disorders in their daily decision-making.  Another interest is applying research in social and cognitive neuroscience to understand processes of alliance-building and change in psychotherapy. 

 

 

 

 

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