Julie Fiez Professor, Psychology and Neuroscience, and the CNBC University of Pittsburgh Phone: (412) 624-7078 Email: fiez@pitt.edu Lab Website: http://www.lrdc.pitt.edu/fiez/default.htm

Ph.D., Washington University Research Interests Research in Dr. Fiez's lab is characterized by a commitment to understanding the neural basis of cognitive functions using neuroimaging as the primary methodology. Other methodologies, such as behavioral studies of normal and brain damaged subjects, are used to provide converging evidence to support the neuroimaging results and to provide an interdisciplinary perspective. Ongoing research projects cover three general topics, as described below. One area of interest is in the neural basis of language processing. For one set of studies, verbal working memory is used as a model system in which to explore the brain regions involved in articulatory and phonological (word sound) processing. We are trying to understand the specific contributions of the cerebellum and Broca's area to the maintenance of verbal information, and the relationship between working memory and other language skills. Other projects are tackling questions about reading, second language acquisition, and morphology (how suffixes and affixes are used). A second area of interest is in the neural basis of reward and motivation. We have used neuroimaging to identify brain regions that selevtively respond to rewards and punishments, and are now beginning a series of studies that will examine how trait and state influence the activation within these areas, and how these areas may enhance the performance and learning of cognitive tasks. Finally, across both the domains of language and reward-related processing, there are projects that seek to understand general principles of neural plasticity and learning. For example, one line of work has investigated the neural basis of experience-dependent changes in the language system, using a computational model to guide the search. Recent Publications Fiez JA, Tranel D, Seager-Frerichs D, Damasio H: Specific impairments in reading and phonological processing are associated with damage to the left frontal operculum. Cortex, 42: 624-43, 2006. Ravizza SM, McCormick CA, Justus TA, Ivry RB, Fiez JA: Cerebellar damage produces selective deficits in verbal working memory. Brain, 129: 306-20, 2006. Tricomi EM, Delgado MR, McCandliss BD, McClelland JL, Fiez JA: Performance feedback drives caudate activation in a perceptual learning task. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 18: 1029-1043, 2006. Liu Y, Dunlap S, Fiez JA, Perfetti C: Evidence for neural accomodation to a writing system following learning. Human Brain Mapping (in press). Wilson SJ, Sayette MA, Fiez JA, Brough E: Carry-over effects of smoking cue exposure on working memory performance. Nicotine and Tobacco Research (in press).