Name：Ying Cai
Personal Statement
I am a Ph.D. candidate in the Center for Brain and Learning Sciences (CBLS), the State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning IDG/McGovern Institute for Brain Research at Beijing Normal University.
Exploring the nature of human intelligence and finding efficient ways to enhance it is one of key issues in psychological science. My research interests focus on the cognitive and neural mechanisms of visual working memory (VWM), with final goals to understand the individual differences on VWM capacity and to explore efficient ways that improve VWM performance.Currently, I am fascinated by the following three questions:
(1) To successfully remember visual materials, how does bottom-up stimuli driven process (e.g. visual representation of images) efficiently interact with top-down control system (e.g. attention control and context-binding). Particularly when and how context-binding process and attention control for task-irrelevant information affect the neural representations of targeted visual images.
(2) Memory load effect is well-established in VWM, however, it is not clear whether simultaneously increased cognitive load, such as inter-item representation interference, context mis-binding and attention collapse, plays a role in explaining this effect. Let alone, when and how these cognitive processes limit VWM performance are far from conclusion.
(3) Working memory capacity has large variation and predicts fluid intelligence on individual level, therefore it is most important to learn how to improve VWM fundamentally (instead of exploiting memory strategies). For which I am interested in developing noninvasive brain stimulation protocol as well as well-designed cognitive training system.
As a student in normal university, I am also interested in how to improving the teaching technology in neuroscience. To be a good teacher as well as a good researcher is always my dream. Outside the lab, I enjoy Chinese paintings and yoga practice.
Publication
Cai, Y., Yu, Q., Sheldon, A., & Postle, B. (2018). The Role of Location-Context Binding in Nonspatial Visual Working Memory. bioRxiv. doi:10.1101/352435
Cai, Y., Sheldon, A., & Postle, B. (2018). Overlapping and Distinct Contributions of Stimulus Location and of Spatial Context to Nonspatial Viusal Short-Term Memory(Under review).
Cai, Y., Urgolites, Z., Wood, J., Chen, C., Li, S., Chen, A., & Xue, G. (2018). Distinct neural substrates for visual short-term memory of actions. Hum Brain Mapp. doi:10.1002/hbm.24236
Li, S., Cai, Y., Liu, J., Li, D., Feng, Z., Chen, C., & Xue, G. (2017). Dissociated roles of the parietal and frontal cortices in the scope and control of attention during visual working memory. NeuroImage, 149, 210-219. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2017.01.061
Cai, Y., Li, S., Liu, J., Li, D., Feng, Z., Wang, Q., . . . Xue, G. (2016). The Role of the Frontal and Parietal Cortex in Proactive and Reactive Inhibitory Control: A Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation Study. J Cogn Neurosci, 28(1), 177-186. doi:10.1162/jocn_a_00888
Wang, Q., Chen, C., Cai, Y., Li, S., Zhao, X., Zheng, L., . . . Xue, G. (2016). Dissociated neural substrates underlying impulsive choice and impulsive action. NeuroImage, 134, 540-549. doi:10.1016/j.neuroimage.2016.04.010
Yang, H., Cai, Y., Liu, Q., Zhao, X., Wang, Q., Chen, C., & Xue, G. (2015). Differential Neural Correlates Underlie Judgment of Learning and Subsequent Memory Performance. Front Psychol, 6. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01699
Conference Presentations
Cai, Y., Samaha, J., Postle, B.R. (2018). Reconstructing Stimulus Identity and Context Binding from the CDA. Nanosymposium representation (accepted). Society for Neuroscience, 2018, San Diego, US;
Cai, Y., Sheldon, A.D., Postle, B.R. (2018). The Influence of Storage Capacity Versus Control in Visual Short-Term Memory Capacity Limitation. Data-Blitz and poster presented, Cognitive Neuroscience Society, 2018, Boston, US;
Cai, Y., Sheldon, A.D., Postle, B.R. (2017). The Neural Representation of Stimuli and Location Contribute to the Recall Precision for Stimuli in Visual Short-term Memory. Poster presented, Society for Neuroscience, 2017, Washington, DC, US;
Cai Y., Xue G. (2015). The Role of tDCS in Modulating Cognitive Functions. Nanosymposium presentation, The 6th FAONS Congress &The 11th Biennial Conference of CNS. 2015, Wuzhen, China;
Cai Y., Li S., Xue G. (2014). Domain-Specific and Domain-General Neural Architecture of Human Visual Short-Term Memory. Trainee Abstract Travel Award and poster presented, Annual meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping, Hamburg, Germany;
Li S,. Cai Y., Xue, G. (2013) Electrophysiological Correlates of Visual Working Memory Capacity for Observed Actions. Poster presented, Society for Psychophysiological Research, Florence, Italy.
