Our research

We aim to understand how emotion affects cognitive processing, such as memory, attention and decision making, by combining behavioural, psychophysiological and brain imaging techniques (such as functional and structural MRI). We are also interested in how human cognition and emotion change across the adult lifespan.

If you are interested in the following topics and would like to join in our lab, please email Michiko Sakaki with your CV to discuss the possibility.

Emotion and memory consolidation: When we acquire new experiences, knowledge and information, memory takes time to be fixed and consolidated. Our research addresses whether and how emotion changes this consolidation process.

Emotion and attention: Emotion influences not only memory but also attention. We examine the underlying mechanisms by which emotion influences our attention system.

Ageing and emotion: When we think about old age, we tend to focus on negative aspects of ageing (e.g., loss of physical health and social connection). But research has revealed that ageing does not always result in negative effects. We are interested in the effects of emotion on older adults' cognitive processing.

Ovarian hormones, emotion and cognition: How do estrogen and progesterone change our decision making? We are interested in the effects of ovarian hormones on emotion and cognition in women.