THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Marylyn C. Grabosky Lecture in Psychology and Neuroscience
Thursday, November 13, 2025
Lecture from 3:30 - 5:00 pm with reception to follow
Thomas Friedman Hall at David Rubenstein Forum
1201 E. 60th Street, Chicago, Illinois
This lecture is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
Please RSVP here.
Pathways to episodic memory: Cognitive & brain processes that shape what we remember
Episodic memories orient us within the narratives of our own lives. They guide the way we make plans and decisions, interact with others, and understand and reflect on our past. At the same time, episodic memories are selective and, at times, imprecise. What are the processes that lead to differences in the quality of memories? In this talk, I will discuss the brain networks that contribute to memory reconstruction and how these processes shape what we remember. In our research, we have found evidence for dissociable cortico-hippocampal pathways that represent different kinds of information in memory, including their contextual associations, specific details, and emotional tone. I will also discuss recent efforts to understand ways in which memory reconstruction can be used as a tool for emotion regulation, as individuals attempt to control and update what they remember about an event. Together, these findings point to parallel memory pathways that can be flexibly engaged to represent and reconfigure a range of experiences
Additional events include:
- Thursday lunch with speaker for graduate students and postdocs
- Friday lunch career discussion for undergraduate students
Please fill out this form if interested in attending the student lunches.
If you need assistance attending these events, please contact Kristi Schonwald at kschonwa@uchicago.edu or 773-702-8861.
Maureen Ritchey, PhD
Associate Professor, Department of Psychology & Neuroscience
Boston College
This lecture is made possible by the Marylyn C. Grabosky STEM Education Initiative Fund and is one of two lifetime endowments named in honor of Marylyn Grabosky (1940-2021). Marylyn was an alumna of the University who was a champion of women, education, and STEM education. The Division of the Social Sciences is grateful to Marylyn and her spouse Laura Desmond for generously establishing the Marylyn C. Grabosky Lecture in Psychology and Neuroscience.