Meet our Team!
Principal Investigator
Sarah Barber, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, Georgia State University. Faculty Affiliate, Gerontology Institute, Georgia State University Dr. Barber (she/her) completed her Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology at Stony Brook University in 2010. She then received postdoctoral training in cognitive aging from the Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California. In its broadest sense, Dr. Barber's research examines how memory performance is affected by age and social context. Based upon this research, in 2019 she received the J. Don Read Early Career Award from the Society for Applied Research in Memory and Cognition. This award recognizes the outstanding contributions of emerging scholars in the area of applied memory and cognition. Dr. Barber also currently serves as an Associate Editor at Memory & Cognition. You can reach Dr. Barber at sbarber10@gsu.edu Google Scholar Profile link |
Graduate Students
Fiona Li
PhD Student in Cognitive Sciences program Fiona graduated from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is currently a graduate student working in Dr. Sarah Barber’s lab at Georgia State University. Fiona’s current research interest includes the effect of ageist stereotype threat on older adults’ cognition, and people's general perceptions of older adults and their abilities. Outside of the research realm, Fiona enjoys travelling, hiking, and exploring the local food scene. 
Hyunji Kim
PhD Student in Developmental Psychology program Hyunji is a Ph.D. student in GSU's Developmental Psychology program. Prior to this, she received an M.A. in psychology at Kyungpook National University in South Korea. Broadly, she is interested in autobiographical memory and positivity effects across the adult life-span. Her current work focuses on autobiographical memory specificity and its relationships with emotions. During her leisure time, she loves to paint, play the piano, and travel! 
Jessica Udry
PhD Student in Cognitive Sciences program Jessica joined the PhD program at GSU in 2020. Prior to this, she completed her master’s degree at Appalachian State University in 2017 with her thesis titled Another Look at Milgram: The Role of Normative Information and Reflection Time in Obedience to Authority. Jessica is currently conducting research on the illusory truth effect. She also currently works on the user experience research team at Cox Communications. |
Research Assistants
Alisha Dhanji Alisha is a pre-med student at GSU working towards a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is also pursuing a minor in Chemistry. She is interested in cognitive psychology and its application in patient care, in conjunction with both therapy and medication. After completing her undergraduate degree, Alisha hopes to attend medical school, and eventually become a psychiatrist. 
Sagarika Devarayapuram Ramakrishnan
Sagarika (she/they) is an undergraduate student of Psychology at Georgia State University. She is currently working on her Honor's Thesis in the Cognition & Aging Lab. Her thesis examines age differences in memory for prior emotions. After completing their undergraduate degree, they are interested in pursuing a PhD. Broadly, they are interested in social determinants of health and exploring the intersections of gender, sexuality, and racial and ethnic identities and their interactions with mental health. In her spare time, Sagarika reads and reviews books, and runs a social media account specifically devoted to that! 
Vanessa Martinez
Vanessa is working on her B.S in Psychology with a Pre-Med concentration at GSU. She is also completing an Honor's Thesis in the Cognition & Aging Lab. Her thesis examines the effects of awareness of age-related change on physical and cognitive outcomes in older adults. Previously, Vanessa had the opportunity to work alongside a palliative care doctor at a geriatic home in Colombia, and this led to her interest in aging. After graduating, Vanessa plans to pursue a medical degree. Her fields of interest include neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry. Vanessa loves to travel, paint and do yoga. 
Other research assistants in the lab include: Hiba Kausar Cori Nelson Na'Khiya Washington |
