Metropolitan State University of Denver

Dr. Cynthia Erickson

Personal Biography Statement

I do not remember a time when I was not fascinated by human and animal behavior, which is why I decided to study psychology. The focus of my BS and MS degrees was on learning and memory. After receiving a Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in neuroscience and psychology, I worked as a staff fellow in the Laboratory of Neuropsychology at the National Institute of Mental Health in Bethesda, Md. There I studied how the brain changes during the process of learning. This research required developing cutting-edge technology to record brain activity from many neurons simultaneously. I then moved on to vision and memory research at the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute at the University of California, Berkeley, and the California National Primate Research Center at the University of California, Davis. At the primate center I managed a multicenter project on the neurobiology of memory and aging in primates. I currently work as a consultant to researchers in the psychology department at Emory University. I have published papers and presented original research at local, national and international conferences on such topics as human learning and memory, teaching of psychology, brain changes during learning and exposure to emotional images, the effects of aging on memory, and other topics in neuroscience and psychology. Whether I am teaching psychology or working in a lab, I love the energy and excitement that students bring to the study of psychology. Although I have lived many places, I feel most comfortable calling Colorado home.

Courses Taught

PSY-1001,PSY-1800,PSY-3310,PSY-4540,PSY-4570