I am a sixth year graduate student studying memory in Dr. Ken Paller’s Cognitive Neuroscience Lab at Northwestern University. I received a BS in Psychology from the University of Arizona.
Research interests:
"Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory"
- What can we learn about the neural correlates of implicit memory recognition based on lateralized perceptual fluency using ERPs?
Implicit Recognition
- Can targeted memory reactivation during sleep be used to improve integration of different aspects of a memory?
- Can memory be modified during sleep?
Memory and Sleep
Publications and Presentations:
- Featured in Pacific Standard’s “Top 30 Thinkers Under 30”, 2015
- Graduate Research Fellowship Program, National Science Foundation, 2015-2015
- Graduate Research Grant, Northwestern University, 2015
- ERP Boot Camp Fellowship, National Institute of Health,2013
- Summer Institute in Cognitive Neuroscience Fellowship, National Institute of Mental Health, 2012
- Phi Beta Kappa Honors Society, 2009
Publications
Hu, X., Antony, J.W., Creery, J.D., Vargas, I.M., Bodenhausen G.V., & Paller, K.A. (2015). Unlearning Implicit Social Biases During Sleep. Science 29, 1013-1015.
Jones, B.J. Pest, S.M., Vargas, I.M., Glisky, E.L., & Fellous, J-M. (2015). Contextual reminders fail to trigger memory reconsolidation in aged rats and aged humans. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory 120, 7-15.
Vargas, I.M., Voss, J.L., & Paller, K.A. (2012). Implicit recognition based on lateralized perceptual fluency. Brain Sciences 2, 22-21.
Presentations
Vargas, I.M. Tracking sources of implicit recognition using lateralized kaleidoscope images Presented at Cognitive Brain Mapping Group at Northwestern University Annual Data Blitz, May 2013; Evanston, IL.
Vargas, I.M., Voss, J.L., Garcia, A.N., Hoffman J.H., & Paller, K.A. Tracking sources of implicit recognition in visual cortex using parafoveal kaleidoscope images. Poster to be presented at Cogtitive Neuroscience Society 20th Annual Meeting, 2013, April 13-16; San Francisco, CA.
Fellous, J., Jones, B., Vargas, I.M., Pest, S., & Glisky, E. Contextual reminders fail to trigger reconsolidation in aged rats and humans. Poster presented at: Society for Cognitive Neuroscience 42nd Annual Meeting, 2012, October 13-17; New Orleans, LA.
Vargas, I.M., Voss, J., & Paller, K.A. Implicit recognition based on lateralized perceptual fluency. Poster session presented at: Cognitive Neuroscience Society 18th Annual Meeting 2011 April 2-5; San Francisco, CA.