Leyla Y. Tarhan ltarhan@g.harvard.edu 33 Kirkland St., Cambridge, MA 02138 Education Harvard University August, 2015 - May, 2020 Cambridge, Massachusetts PhD student Department of Psychology: Cognition, Brain, and Behavior Advisor: Dr. Talia Konkle Pomona College August, 2009 - May, 2013 Claremont, California Bachelor of Arts with Distinction Major: Linguistics and Cognitive Science, Cognitive Science focus Advisor: Dr. Deborah Burke Minor: History Publications and Presentations Publications Tarhan, L.Y., Watson, C.E., and Buxbaum, L.J. (2015). Shared and distinct neuroanatomic regions critical for tool-related action production and recognition: Evidence from 131 left-hemisphere stroke patients. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 27 (12). Presentations Tarhan, L.Y., Watson, C.E., and Buxbaum, L.J. (February, 2015). Action Understanding and Production: Common and Distinct Neural Substrates. Poster presented at the bi-annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, Denver, CO. Tarhan, L.Y. and Burke, D.M. (May, 2013). Emotional Faces and Cognition: The Effects of Ekman s Emotional Expressions on Memory. Paper presented at the annual Berkeley Interdisciplinary Research Conference, Berkeley, CA. 1
Research Positions Laboratory Manager July, 2013 - July, 2015 Cognition and Action Laboratory Dr. Laurel Buxbaum, P.I. Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Philadelphia, PA Conducted research on action and object knowledge, action memory, and the semantic systems underlying action production and recognition under Dr. Laurel Buxbaum (principle investigator), Dr. Christine Watson, and Dr. Mattheus de Wit (post-doctoral fellows). Assisted with experimental and stimulus design; subject recruitment; subject testing (stroke patients, aged controls); collecting, analyzing, and presenting data; research presentations and writeups. Trained to trace brain lesions (reliable with neurologist Dr. H. Branch Coslett), warp and normalize lesion drawings to common template brain, and process imaging files. Conducted complex brain imaging analyses, including Voxel-based Lesion-Symptom Mapping (VLSM), lesion overlap analyses, lesion subtraction analyses, and conjunction analyses. Assisted in stimulus design for fmri study in collaboration with Dr. Sharon Thompson-Schill at the University of Pennsylvania, further investigating the neural architecture of the action semantics system. Undergraduate Research Assistant September, 2010 - May, 2013 Claremont Project on Memory and Aging Dr. Deborah Burke, P.I. Pomona College, Claremont, CA Helped streamline experiments studying Inattentional Blindness and Tip of the Tongue (TOT) experiences in older adults and young controls, including possible interventions to reduce the occurrence of TOT states. Tested participants on tasks relating to TOT, memory, and cognition. Helped analyze behavioral data using SPSS and Micosoft Excel. With additional funding from Pomona College, completed original experimental research on memory, emotion, and embodied cognition in completion of the senior thesis in cognitive science. 2
Undergraduate Research Assistant May - August, 2010 Laboratory of Dr. Susan Goldin-Meadow University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Gathered and analyzed data from experiements studying the gestures made by children performing mental abacus calculations as a possible case study for an embodied cognition framework. Helped to develop video coding system for use in data anlysis. Conducted statistical analyses using Microsoft Excel. Assisted in developing theory of the role of embodiment in mental arithmetic based on the above data. Research Interests organization of action knowledge; largescale cortical organization; dance and neuroscience; visual cognitive neuroscience; mechanisms of memory encoding and retrieval; organization of representations in memory Grants Awarded Graduate Research Fellow 2016 2019 National Science Foundation Awarded grant for tuition and $34,000 annual stipend for three years during graduate school. Summer Undergraduate Research Project April, 2012 Pomona College Applied for and awarded grant for $4,000 funding an original research project investigating memory, emotion, and embodied cognition under the guidance of Dr. Deborah Burke. NSF Summer Undergraduate Workshop June, 2011 Institute for Research in Cognitive Science University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA Applied for and received grant from the National Science Foundation to attend a two-week undergraduate workshop including lab tours, lectures, and discussions led by research in fields relating to cognitive science. Selected for full funding by the NSF through a highly competitive application process. Enhanced critical thinking about brain science research and knowledge of the field s newest methodologies. 3
Honors and Awards John R. Purvis Prize in Cognitive Science May, 2013 Pomona College Awarded to one senior Linguistics and Cognitive Science student in recognition of an outstanding senior thesis. Thesis: Emotional Faces and Cognition: the effects of Ekman s Facial Action Task on memory Pomona College Scholar Fall 2010, Spring 2011, Spring 2012, Fall 2012, Spring 2013 Awarded to Pomona College students in the top 25 percent of their class each semester after Freshman year. Colluccio Salutati Prize April, 2012 Syracuse University in Florence, Florence, Italy Writing prize awarded to two students studying abroad in Florence based on professors nominations and a writing contest. Nominated by two professors based on excellent work throughout the semester. Option II Language Award April, 2012 Centro di Cultura per gli Stranieri, Florence, Italy Awarded to one student in the advanced level Italian language class based on linguistic proficiency and performance in class. Achieved the top grade on the final exam. Skills and Qualifications Technical Skills Programming: Python, R, MatLab, HTML, Javascript, eprime Data analysis: R, MatLab, SPSS, Microsoft Excel Brain imaging analysis: Brain Voyager, FSL, VoxBo (for voxel-based lesionsymptom mapping and imaging processing), MRIcron, ANTS (for brain normalization) Language Skills Advanced proficiency in Italian and Spanish Elementary proficiency in Swahili and German 4
Introduction to Cognitive Science Neuropsychology Psycholinguistics Emotion: Perspectives from Psychology and Neuroscience Experimental Methods in Linguistics and Cognitive Science Seminar: Language, Memory, and the Brain Relevant Coursework Other Experiences fmri Methods Cognition, Brain, and Behavior Phonology Introduction to Linguistics Multivariate Calculus Multivariable Statistics Psychological Statistics Computation and Cognition Tutor January, 2010 - May, 2013 Upward Bound, Claremont, CA Worked one-on-one with underprivileged high school students on subjects including English, writing, history, math, chemistry, biology, physics, and economics. Learned to adapt teaching style to specific audiences depending upon prior knowledge and learning style while remaining engaging and effective as a tutor. Journalism Intern January - April, 2012 Flo N the Go, Florence, Italy Researched and published several articles covering cultural events in Florence. Conducted interviews with important cultural figures (e.g., Leonardo Ferragamo). Nominated for best intern award. Learned to portray Florentine culture in a clear, engaging, and thoughtful manner. HIV/AIDS Awareness Volunteer May-July, 2010 Support for International Change (SIC), Ilkiding a, Tanzania Ran HIV/AIDS awareness campaign in a small village, including community teachings, in-school education, and testing days, following rigorous training in HIV/AIDs community health. 5
Collaborated with American and Tanzanian co-teachers to plan grouptaught lessons in Swahili. Learned to effectively deliver information, across cultural boundaries, to groups with different understandings of the causes and treatments of HIV. Senior Essay in completion of a minor in History August, 2012 - May, 2013 Origins of the Sicilian Mafia: A socio-economic investigation Pomona College Conducted original research on the socio-economic origins of the Sicilian Mafia, utilizing untranslated primary sources such as government documents and contemporary accounts of criminal trials. Wrote 59-page, four-chapter essay under the guidance of Dr. Gary Kates (Pomona College department of History) and Dr. Sara Adler (Scripps College department of Italian) presenting my findings. 6