Alison R. Preston
Assistant Professor
Center for Learning and Memory
Departments of Psychology & Neurobiology
The University of Texas at Austin

academic history
Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford University, Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience (2004-2007)
PhD, Stanford University, Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience (2004)
MA, Stanford University, Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience (2001)
BA, University of Pennsylvania, summa cum laude with honors in Psychology (1997)

awards
Postdoctoral Individual National Research Service Award, National Institute of Mental Health (2004-2007)
Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award, National Institute of Mental Health (2001-2004)
Predoctoral Institutional National Research Service Award, National Institute of Mental Health (1998-1999)
Honorable Mention, National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship (1998)

research interests
• Neural basis of human learning and memory using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)
• Functional contributions of medial temporal lobe substructures to declarative memory
• Attentional, motivational, and emotional modulation of memory in the medial temporal lobe
• Medial temporal lobe function in schizophrenia

publications
Preston, A.R., Bornstein, A.M., Hutchinson, J.B., Gaare, M.E., Glover, G.H., & Wagner, A.D. (In press). High-resolution fMRI of content-sensitive subsequent memory responses in human medial temporal lobe. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.

Ragland, J.D., Cools, R.*, Frank, M.*, Pizzagalli, D.A.*, Preston, A.*, Ranganath, C.*, & Wagner, A.D.* (2009). CNTRICS final task selection: Long-term memory. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 35(1), 197-212. *Authors had equal contribution. PDF | PMID:18927344

Preston, A.R., & Gabrieli, J.D.E. (2008). Dissociation between explicit memory and configural memory in the human medial temporal lobe. Cerebral Cortex, 18(9), 2192-207. PDF | PMID:18234685

Brewer, J.B., Gabrieli, J.D.E., Preston, A.R., Vaidya, C.J., & Rosen, A.C. (2007). Memory. In C.G. Goetz (Ed.), Textbook of Clinical Neurology, 3rd Edition. New York: Elsevier.

Preston, A.R., & Wagner, A.D. (2007). The medial temporal lobe and memory. In R.P. Kesner, & J.L. Martinez (Eds.), Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 2nd Edition. New York: Elsevier, p. 305-337.

Preston, A.R., Shohamy, D., Tamminga, C.A., & Wagner, A.D. (2005). Hippocampal function, memory, and schizophrenia: Anatomical and functional neuroimaging considerations. Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports, 5(4), 249-256. PDF | PMID:15987607

Preston, A.R., Shrager, Y., Dudukovic, N.M., & Gabrieli, J.D.E. (2004). Hippocampal contribution to the novel use of relational information in declarative memory. Hippocampus, 14(2), 148-152. PDF | PMID:15098720

Preston, A.R., Thomason, M.E., Ochsner, K.N., Cooper, J.C., & Glover, G.H. (2004). Comparison of spiral-in/out and spiral-out BOLD fMRI at 1.5T and 3T. NeuroImage, 21(1), 291-301. PDF | PMID:14741667

Gabrieli, J.D.E., & Preston, A.R. (2003). Working smarter not harder. Neuron, 37(2), 191-192. PDF | PMID:12546814

Gabrieli, J.D.E., & Preston, A.R. (2003). Visualizing genetic influences on human brain function. Cell, 112(2), 144-145. PDF | PMID:12553902

Gabrieli, J.D.E., Preston, A.R., Brewer, J.B., & Vaidya, C.J. (2003). Memory. In C.G. Goetz (Ed.), Textbook of Clinical Neurology, 2nd Edition. New York: Elsevier.

Preston, A.R., & Gabrieli, J.D.E. (2002). Different functions for different medial temporal lobe structures? Learning and Memory, 9, 215-217. PDF | PMID:12359830

Disterhoft, J.F., Carrillo, M., Fortier, C., Gabrieli, J.D.E., Knuttinen, M.-G., McGlinchey-Berroth, R., Preston, A.R., & Weiss, C. (2002). Impact of temporal lobe amnesia, aging, and awareness on human eyeblink conditioning, In L.R. Squire & D.L. Schacter (Eds.), The Neuropsychology of Memory, 3rd Edition. New York: Guilford.

Knuttinen, M.-G., Power, J.M., Preston, A.R., & Disterhoft, J.F. (2001). Awareness in classical differential eyeblink conditioning in young and aging humans. Behavioral Neuroscience, 115(4), 747-757. PDF | PMID:11508714

Weiss, C., Preston, A.R., Schwarz, R.D., Welty, D., & Disterhoft, J.F. (2000). The M1 muscarinic agonist CI1017 facilitates hippocampally-dependent trace eyeblink conditioning in aging rabbits and increases the excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons. Journal of Neuroscience, 20(2), 783-790. PDF | PMID:10632607

Disterhoft, J.F., Kronforst-Collins, M., Oh, M.M., Power, J.M., Preston, A.R., & Weiss, C. (1999). Cholinergic facilitation of trace eyeblink conditioning in aging rabbits. Life Sciences, 64 (6-7), 541-548.

articles in the popular press
Preston, A.R. (2007). Ask the Expert: How does short-term memory work in relation to long-term memory? Are short-term daily memories somehow transferred to long-term storage while we sleep? Scientific American.

conference presentations
Hutchinson, J.B., Cristo, Y., Preston, A.R., & Wagner, A.D. (2008). Frontal and parietal correlates of graded recollection during episodic retrieval. Cognitive Neuroscience Society Abstracts.

Cook Reeck, C.L., Preston, A.R., Lawson, G.M., & Wagner, A.D. (2007). Encoding predictors of graded source recollection: A high-resolution fMRI study of conjunctive encoding in the medial temporal lobe. Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Chen, J., Olsen, R.K., Preston, A.R., & Wagner, A.D. (2007). Associative retrieval and mismatch signals in the CA fields of human hippocampus. . Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Chen, J., Olsen, R.K., Preston, A.R., & Wagner, A. D. (2006). Pattern completion and prediction error in human hippocampus: A high-resolution fMRI study. Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Chin, R., Thomas, B., Mihalakos, P., Shohamy, D., Preston, A.R., Wagner, A.D., & Tamminga, C.A. (2006). Declartive memory in schizophrenia: Antipsychotic drug actions. Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Dudukovic, N.M., Preston, A.R., Archie, J.J., & Wagner, A.D. (2006). Goal directed attention modulates encoding processes in the medial temporal lobe. Cognitive Neuroscience Society Abstracts.

Dudukovic, N.M., Preston, A.R., Archie, J.J., & Wagner, A.D. (2006). Attention-dependent modulation of medial temporal lobe encoding processes. Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Chin, R., Thomas, B., Shohamy, D., Preston, A.R., Wagner, A.D., & Tamminga, C.A. (2005). Hippocampally-dependent declarative memory deficits in schizophrenia. Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Olsen, R.K., Gonsalves, B.D., Preston, A.R., Curran, T., Norman, K.A., & Wagner, A.D. (2005). The effects of perceptual similarity on item recognition and repetition suppression in the medial temporal lobe. Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Preston, A.R., Gaare, M.E., & Wagner, A.D. (2005). High resolution fMRI of stimulus-specific novelty encoding and subsequent memory responses in human medial temporal lobe. Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Preston, A.R., Gaare, M.E., & Wagner, A.D. (2005). Stimulus-specific novelty encoding and subsequent memory responses in human medial temporal lobe. Cognitive Neuroscience Society Abstracts.

Tamminga, C.A., Chin, R., Thomas, B., Preston, A.R., Shohamy, D., & Wagner, A.D. (2005). Declarative memory and schizophrenia: Evidence for altered performance and hippocampal activation. Organization for Human Brain Mapping Abstracts.

Preston, A.R., Gaare, M.E., & Wagner, A.D. (2004). Stimulus-specific novelty responses in human medial temporal lobe. 2004 Abstract Viewer and Itinerary Planner, 201.7. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Dudukovic, N.M., Preston, A.R., Kao, Y.C., Race, E.A., & Gabrieli, J.D.E. (2003). An fMRI study of perceptual and conceptual source retrieval. Cognitive Neuroscience Society Abstracts.

Kao, Y.C., Preston, A.R., & Gabrieli, J.D.E. (2003). Retrieval mode and prefrontal cortex: Getting ready to remember. Cognitive Neuroscience Society Abstracts.

Nichols, E.A., Kao, Y.C., Preston, A.R., Ghahremani, D.G., & Gabrieli, J.D.E. (2003) The relationship between the neural bases of working memory and long term memory. 2003 Abstract Viewer and Itinerary Planner, 194.5. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Preston, A.R., Shrager, Y., Dudukovic, N.M., & Gabrieli, J.D.E. (2003). Medial temporal lobe activation during the flexible use of learned relations. Cognitive Neuroscience Society Abstracts.

Kao, Y.C., Preston, A.R., Somers, M., Keane, M.M., & Gabrieli, J.D.E. (2002) Prefrontal activation and episodic memory retrieval: Isolating the retrieval mode. 2002 Abstract Viewer and Itinerary Planner, 582.1. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Preston, A.R., Somers, M., Kao, Y.C., & Gabrieli, J.D.E. (2002). Relational and non-relational memory retrieval in the medial temporal lobe. 2002 Abstract Viewer and Itinerary Planner, 620.6. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Preston, A.R., Salidis, J., & Gabrieli, J.D.E. (2001). Medial temporal lobe activation during implicit contextual learning. 2001 Abstract Viewer and Itinerary Planner, 347.6. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Preston, A.R., Knuttinen, M.-G., Christoff, K., Glover, G.H., Gabrieli, J.D.E., & Disterhoft, J.F. (2000). The neural basis of classical eyeblink conditioning: An event related fMRI study. 2000 Abstract Viewer and Itinerary Planner, 264.11. Washington, DC: Society for Neuroscience. Online.

Knuttinen, M.-G., Power, J.M., Preston, A.R., & Disterhoft, J.F. (1999). Age and awareness in eyeblink conditioning. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 25, 2069.

Weiss, C., Preston, A.R., Oh, M.M., Schwarz, R.D., Welty, D., & Disterhoft, J.F. (1999). The M1 muscarinic agonist CI1017 facilitates hippocampally-dependent trace eyeblink conditioning in aging rabbits and increases the excitability of CA1 pyramidal neurons. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 25, 84.

Knuttinen, M.-G., Weiss, C., Power, J.M., Preston, A.R., & Disterhoft J.F. (1998). Senescent rats are impaired in trace and delay eyeblink conditioning. Society for Neuroscience Abstracts, 24, 443.

talks
2009
           Symposium on Relational Memory, International Society of Behavioral Neuroscience, Hilton Head, SC

2008
           Future Directions in Neuroergonomics and Neuromorphics, The University of Maryland
           The Neurological Institute, Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas
           Memory Matters, University of Texas at Austin

2007
          Cognition and Perception Seminar, Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin
          Center for Learning and Memory Annual Retreat, University of Texas at Austin

2006
           Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California Irvine
           Department of Psychology, Columbia University
           Department of Psychology, University of Michigan
           Center for Learning & Memory, University of Texas at Austin

2004
           fMRI Colloquium, Department of Radiology, Stanford University

2003
           Friday Cognitive Seminar, Department of Psychology, Stanford University

2002
           Friday Cognitive Seminar, Department of Psychology, Stanford University
           Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

teaching
Cognitive Neuroscience, Instructor (2009)
Principles of Neuroscience, Instructor (Team) (2008)
Cognitive Sciences, Guest Lecturer (2007,2008)
The Nervous System, Guest Lecturer (2005)
Introduction to Neuroscience, Instructor (2002)
Cognitive Neuroscience, TA (2001-2002)
Learning and Memory, TA (2001)
Perception, TA (2000-2001)
Cognitive Psychology, Instructor (2000)
Introduction to Psychology, TA (1999-2000)

memberships
American Psychological Association
American Psychological Society
Cognitive Neuroscience Society
Society for Neuroscience

ad hoc reviewer
Archives of General Psychiatry
Brain and Cognition
Hippocampus
Human Brain Mapping
Journal of Neuroscience
Learning & Memory
National Science Foundation
Neuropsychologia
Neuropsychology
Trends in Cognitive Science