The conference will be hosted online and in person by Carleton University’s Department of Cognitive Science on Friday, April 14 and Saturday, April 15, 2023.
- Talks: Friday, April 14, 10:30AM–4:00PM (hybrid – Carleton University (MacKenzie Building rooms 3380 and 4499) and Zoom
- Posters: Saturday, April 15, 10:30AM–2:30PM (online – Gather.Town)
The deadline for submissions was March 20, 2023. Please see the Call for Abstracts.
Cost: Free
Schedule: click here
Registration: click here
Registration deadlines: Registration deadlines: April 3, 11:00AM (in person attendance) and April 13, 4:00PM (virtual attendance)
Abstract booklet: click here
About This Event
The central aim of our conference is to provide a venue for graduate students in all areas of cognitive science–at both the Master’s and Ph.D. level–to present and receive feedback on their work, and to interact with each other in a friendly, supportive, and inclusive environment. Undergraduate students conducting original research are also encouraged to submit their work.
Keynote Address
Presenter: Dr. Nathan Spreng (McGill University)
Title: The impact of loneliness on functional brain network organization across the lifespan
Abstract: Dr. Nathan Spreng is a full professor and the director of the Laboratory of Brain and Cognition at the Montreal Neurological Institute in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University. His research examines large-scale brain network dynamics and their role in cognition. Currently, he is investigating the links between memory, attention, cognitive control, and social cognition and the interacting brain networks that support them. He is also actively involved in the development and implementation of novel multivariate statistical approaches to assess activity and interactivity of large scale brain networks. His work adopts a network neuroscience approach to investigating complex cognitive processes as they change across the lifespan, both in normal aging and brain disease. Loneliness emerges when one’s need for interpersonal connection is unmet. Loneliness is a modifiable risk factor associated with poor mental and brain health across the lifespan. Over a series of studies examining the impact of loneliness on brain function, measured with resting-state functional connectivity, we have demonstrated that associations between self-reported loneliness and functional network organization changes over the adult life course. In early adulthood, higher levels of loneliness are associated with greater integration of visual regions with higher order association networks. From late middle-age and into older adulthood, this pattern shifts, with greater integration observed among higher order association networks and a relative isolation of the visual system. We hypothesize that these age-differences in network organization in the context of loneliness may reflect a shift from externally-oriented processing (e.g., perceiving negative social cues) in young, to more internally-oriented processing (e.g., reminiscing or mentalizing about social experiences) in the later decades of life. These findings raise the intriguing possibility that the phenomena of loneliness may be a qualitatively different experience depending upon age. I will conclude with new directions of research into the impact of loneliness on older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease.
Presenter bio: Dr. Nathan Spreng is a full professor and the director of the Laboratory of Brain and Cognition at the Montreal Neurological Institute in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University. His research examines large-scale brain network dynamics and their role in cognition. Currently, he is investigating the links between memory, attention, cognitive control, and social cognition and the interacting brain networks that support them. He is also actively involved in the development and implementation of novel multivariate statistical approaches to assess activity and interactivity of large scale brain networks. His work adopts a network neuroscience approach to investigating complex cognitive processes as they change across the lifespan, both in normal aging and brain disease.
Contact
Should you have questions or want further information, please do not hesitate to email cgscspringconference@gmail.com and someone from the organizing committee will get back to you.