Dr. Itamar Lerner is a cognitive and computational neuroscientist and the Principal Investigator of the Sleep and Memory Computational Lab. His research interests include the effects of sleep on learning, hippocampal-dependent memory and its involvement in pattern recognition and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), the brain mechanisms behind creativity and insight, associative processes in semantic memory in healthy and schizophrenic individuals, and language acquisition. Visit itamarlerner.com for additional information.
Emerson is a second-year PhD student in Psychology at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Originally from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, Emerson completed his Master’s in Psychology from UTSA and previously earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a minor in Organic Chemistry from the University of Mobile. He also holds a Master of Science in Biology from Auburn University. Emerson’s research interests focus on understanding the biological mechanisms involved in how sleep influences the development of stress and trauma, and how these processes contribute to disorders such as PTSD.
Miranda is a PhD student in the Neuroscience PhD program at UTSA. She completed her BSc in Chemistry and Neuroscience at the University of Notre Dame in 2020 and her MSc in Neuroscience at the University College London partnered with the Francis Crick Institute in 2021. With a background in evolutionary and computational neuroscience, she hopes to study human cognition and explore novel modeling tools to further develop cutting-edge theories of how sleep facilitates memory consolidation. Broader career goals include applying sleep & memory research to develop tools which facilitate classroom teaching and to improve education policy in secondary schools.
Oscar is a first-year master’s student with a deep curiosity about how sleep encodes memory and the psychological measures involved in research. With a growing interest in fMRI research, they are passionate about exploring how the brain functions in relation to memory and sleep, aiming to deepen their understanding of these intricate processes.
Sabrina is a freshman majoring in neuroscience and is on track to graduation in the Spring of 2025. After graduating she hopes to get her MD at a Texas Medical school. Sabrina is a new research assistant and is very excited to be given the opportunity to be a part of innovative and exciting research.
Caroline Muniz is a first-generation fourth year undergraduate student. She is majoring in Psychology and minoring in Biology with a pre-medical concentration. She has been at the lab for 2 1/2 years as a research assistant where she has gained invaluable experience working with participants, sleep devices, and learning more about sleep and memory. After graduating this semester, she hopes to work in healthcare and attend medical school, hoping to become an emergency medicine physician. She hopes to work in a sleep lab center before medical school and apply what she learned here!
Kendell Lyssy is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in psychology and minoring in Classics and Comparative Literature at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She started in Fall 2022 and helps run participants, train new RAs, and work with data in Qualtrics and SPSS. She plans to graduate in December 2024 and then enter a master’s counseling program.
Stephen is a first-year student at the University of Texas in San Antonio studying for a bachelor’s in psychology. Stephen is a double major in psychology and philosophy and is studying to become a relationships therapist with a focus on borderline personality disorder and chemical dependency.
Alexandra Lerma is an honors junior majoring in Neuroscience, currently serving as a research assistant in Dr. Lerner’s Lab since the spring of 2023. With an interest in dentistry, she has her sights set on applying to dental school upon graduating in 2025. Alexandra is deeply enthusiastic about delving into the realm of sleep research!
Joann Phelps is a new research assistant joining in the Summer of 2023 with the desire to deepen her understanding of sleep, improve research abilities in human studies, and gain new coding experiences. She is a fourth-year undergraduate student majoring in Neuroscience, with the hopes of getting a Ph.D. and D.D.S. from UT Health in San Antonio after graduation. Joann wants to dedicate her life to sleep medicine dentistry and conducting research in early interventions for neurodegenerative disease by addressing facial maldevelopment.
Vina is a new research assistant starting in the Fall of 2023.She is very excited to be given the opportunity to learn more about the research process in the Sleep and Memory Computational Lab. She is a first-year undergraduate majoring in Biology. After finishing her Bachelor’s degree, she plans to go to medical school and pursue a career in the medical field.
Alexa Pena is a 3rd year undergrad student at UTSA majoring in neuroscience with a concentration behavioral neuroscience and a minor in psychology. After graduating with her BS in neuroscience she plans to go back to school to further her education and get a master’s degree in neuroscience. Her plans for the future are to work in the research field studying the neuroscience of sleep and sleep disorders in a lab. As a research assistant at the Sleep and Memory Computational Lab she looks forward to gaining experience working in a lab conducting research and collecting data as well as working with peers with similar passions.
Justique is a third-year undergraduate student who plans to pursue a doctoral degree and a career in psychological research. She has a strong interest in Cognitive Psychology and the role cognitive functions play in sleep, memory, and psychological well-being. She is a new research assistant who is excited to gain research experience and learn about the different facets of human mental processes.
Mandy is a first-year undergraduate student majoring in neuroscience and minoring in psychology. She found interest in Dr. Lerner’s sleep lab after attending his 3-day training program. Mandy has a special interest in how generational trauma affects one’s lifestyle. Through her collective research on people’s sleeping patterns and implications in the lab, she hopes her lab experience can shape her future career.
Melanie is a third-year undergraduate student, with a major in Psychology and a minor in Business Administration, who joined as a new research assistant in Spring 2023. She is excited to learn alongside a team of RAs to have a better understanding of the relationship between sleep and memory. Her goal is to graduate with her bachelors in Spring 2025 and pursue a master’s degree in I/O Psychology.
Lillianna is a junior majoring in Psychology and is a new research assistant in Dr. Lerner’s lab as of Fall 2024. She plans on graduating with her bachelor’s in the spring of 2026 and moving on to a graduate program to earn a Psy.D. in clinical psychology. She is eager to gain research experience and learn more about the effects of sleep on one’s emotional regulation and cognitive abilities.
Anvitha is an honors freshman majoring in Pre-medical Neuroscience and started as a research assistant in the Sleep and Memory Computational Lab in 2024. Passionate about medicine and helping others, she plans to attend medical school after graduating in 2027 to become a pediatric neurologist. Her main interests lie in cognitive neuroscience, especially how sleep impacts memory and emotional reactivity. She’s excited to dive into these topics through her work in the lab and deepen her understanding of the brain and its specific functions.
Julianna is a new research assistant starting in Fall 2024. She is pursuing a major in Psychology with a minor in Women’s Studies and aims to enter a PsyD doctoral program after graduation. She’s very enthusiastic about gaining hands-on experience in clinical psychology and deepening her understanding of cognitive processes.
Beverly joined The Sleep and Memory Computational Lab in the Spring of 2022. She previously completed her bachelor’s degree in biology in 2012 through WGU and decided to change focus, earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology at UTSA before continuing to a master’s program. Her research interests involved memory consolidation during sleep and the external influences which may hinder or bolster the consolidation process.
Emily was an undergraduate Research Assistant in The Sleep and Memory Computational Lab and started in September of 2020. During her time as a Research Assistant she was given the opportunity to help set up the lab, review grant proposals and train incoming Research Assistants. Under Dr. Lerner’s leadership she gained a deeper understanding of sleep and its function, as well as deepening her passion for research.
James first began working with Dr. Lerner as an undergraduate in February 2020. During this time span, he experienced coding in Python and JavaScript using PsychoPy to write experiments, used in his own research as well as other master’s students. He also had the opportunity to help develop lab protocols that will be used in the lab’s research with PSG and EEG-based experiments. In addition, James gained experience with applying for grant proposals and had a firsthand education on sleep and sleep research.