Joseph Hennessee

Biosketch

I joined the Park Aging Mind Lab in July 2018 as a post-doctoral fellow. Earlier in 2018, I obtained my Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience from University of California Los Angeles. During my graduate career, I worked in Dr. Barbara Knowlton’s and Dr. Alan Castel’s labs examining how younger and older adults selectively learn valuable information. In that project I utilized fMRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) techniques to examine individual differences in this selective learning process and episodic memory.

Research Interests

My primary research interests revolve around determining the factors responsible for healthy cognitive aging versus cognitive decline, including factors related with Alzheimer’s disease progression, so that beneficial life choices and treatment choices can be pursued. I would also like to examine how different physical and mental activities support better maintenance of cognitive functioning. I believe that while part of aging is biological, and currently out of our hands, there are meaningful lifestyle choices we can make to help us age in a healthier manner.

Selected Publications

Hennessee, J. P., Knowlton, B. J., & Castel, A. D. (2018). The effects of value on context-item associative memory in younger and older adults. Psychology and Aging, 33(1), 46–56. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pag0000202
 
Hennessee, J. P., Castel, A. D., & Knowlton, B. J. (2017). Recognizing what matters: Value improves recognition by selectively enhancing recollection. Journal of Memory and Language, 94, 195-205. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jml.2016.12.004