Remembrance of Things Past and Future: Insights from Amnesia

At 12:30 p.m. today, February 27, Wellesley Wednesday presents Wellesley College Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Margaret Keane, in Pendleton West 212 Amphitheatre Classroom. Her lecture is entitled Remembrance of Things Past and Future: Insights from Amnesia.

Much of what we know about the forms and functions of memory comes from research with individuals who have become amnesic as a result of brain damage. Such work has not only elucidated the brain structures critical for establishing memories, but has also yielded fascinating insights about how memory shapes behavior outside of our awareness, and how memory enables us to envision the future. This talk will explore these insights with a special focus on the well-known amnesic patient H.M., whose contributions to our understanding of the functional and neural architecture of memory have been invaluable.

Margaret Keane is professor of psychology at Wellesley College and Associate Director of the Memory Disorders Research Center at the VA Boston Healthcare System and Boston University School of Medicine. She received her Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Her research program aims to identify the cognitive and neural bases of distinct forms of memory, and to elucidate the role of memory mechanisms in "non-memorial" domains. Her courses contribute to the curriculum in psychology, neuroscience, and cognitive science. She was awarded The Anna and Samuel Pinanski Teaching Prize in 2012.

Lunch is at 12:00 in the Pendleton East Atrium.

This lecture is sponsored by the President's Office.

For disability services, contact jwice@wellesley.edu.