Human Spatial Navigation: Cognitive Graphs, Route Choice, and Individual Differences

Navigation is a central part of daily life. For some, getting around is easy, while others struggle. Some clinical populations, such as those with Alzheimer’s Disease, display wandering behaviors and extensive disorientation. Working at the interface between immersive virtual reality and neuroimaging techniques, my research uses these complementary approaches to inform questions about how we acquire and use spatial knowledge. In this talk, I will discuss both some of my recent work and current experiments that center on three main themes: 1) how we learn new environments, 2) how the brain tracks spatial information, and 3) how individuals differ in their spatial abilities. The studies presented in this talk inform new frameworks for understanding spatial knowledge, leading to novel approaches to answering the next major questions in navigation, learning, and memory.

Dr. Elizabeth Chrastil is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurobiology & Behavior at UC Irvine, with an appointment in the Department of Cognitive Sciences, and is a fellow of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning & Memory. She was awarded the Early Career Award from the Psychonomic Society in 2023. Dr. Chrastil received her PhD from Brown University and did her postdoctoral work at Boston University. She also received an MS in biology from Tufts University and a BA from Washington University in St. Louis.