Pauline Baniqued, PhD

Pauline L. Baniqued is a cognitive neuroscientist interested in research questions geared toward
improving brain health and educational practices, especially in disadvantaged populations. As a
postdoctoral scholar in the laboratory of Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, Baniqued examines the
neurocognitive mechanisms related to cognitive, social and emotional development in adolescents, with
the end goal of improving learning and well-being in schools. Baniqued completed an NIH post-doctoral
fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley, in the lab of Mark D’Esposito. She received a PhD in
Psychology (Cognitive Neuroscience) from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign under the
mentorship of Arthur Kramer, Monica Fabiani, and Gabriele Gratton. Her previous work involved using
behavioral and multi-modal brain imaging methods to investigate the network dynamics of cognitive
control and the effects of various interventions on these processes. Baniqued received her bachelor’s
degree in Cognitive Science from the University of Pennsylvania, where as an undergraduate assistant in
the laboratories of Amishi Jha and Martha Farah, she first gained exposure to neuroscience approaches
to studying the effects of socioeconomic status and interventions on cognitive development.

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Ql0GmlEAAAAJ&hl=en

Erik Jahner, PhD

Erik Jahner received his PhD in Educational Psychology from University of California Riverside and his
Masters in Linguistics from California State University Long Beach. He examines how the socially situated
and embodied mind develops the capacity for persistent seeking behaviors. His inquiries have been at
the intersection of neuroscience, psychology, education, and linguistics, which has allowed him to
explore the bioecological development around interest, curiosity, and information-seeking behaviors and
experiences. On the pathway to understanding the neural dynamics of resting-state connectivity
associated with differences in interest actualization, Jahner currently seeks to better understand the
phenomenological and psychophysiological indicators of the emotions associated with individual interest
engagement. At this moment Jahner is situating this line of research around adolescents and young
adults attending a progressive high school in Los Angeles. In Jahner’s spare time, he explores the nature
of humanity through science fiction, imagination, and artistic endeavors.

Publication Spotlight
Jahner, E. (2021) Can You Develop New Interests? an Improved Instrument for Measuring Implicit
Theories of Interest Development. Frontiers in Education, 6, 1-12.
https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2021.646970

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=-wBvMggAAAAJ&hl=en