Emotion, Memory, and Aging Lab

The aging brain is capable of amazing resiliency and strength. Older adults report better emtoion health than younger persons, despite the well-known challenges of growing older. Dr. Ready is interested in how persons successfully navigate the challenges of aging and in particular, how changes in cognition and emotion regulaltion interact as persons get older. At the root of all her research studies is an intense interest in successful aging and resiliency in the face of stress.

Dr. Ready conducts studies of emotional well-being and regulation in healthy adults of all ages and also in adults suffering from neurologic disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and Huntington's disease. Her research on healthy individuals and patient populations are synergistic. Results from research with neurologic populations patients pose interesting and important questions to pursue in healthy older adults. Conversely, assessment methodologies developed with healthy older adults promise to open new avenues of exploration and assessment in patients with neurologic disease.

Methodologies used in Dr. Ready'slab are varied but draw heavily from neuropsychology, cognitive psychology, and personality psychology. She hopes to extend her work to include neurophysiological and biological correlates of emotion experiences in older and younger adults in the near future.

Contact Information
ready@psych.umass.edu
Fax (413) 545-0996

Graduate Students

  • Janessa Carvalho
  • Anna Akerstedt
  • Tesssa Lundquist

Undergraduate Students

  • Emily Bondor
  • Katherine Dempsey
  • Megan McKeegan