About Us

Motivation, Affect, & Cognition Lab, Fall 2023

	Kimberly S. Chiew, Ph.D. Principal Investigator Note: Dr. Chiew is on sabbatical Fall 2023 and Winter 2024. Dr. Chiew is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Denver. She completed a Bachelor’s degree in Neuroscience at the University of Toronto, a Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology at Washington University in St. Louis and a postdoctoral fellowship at Duke University’s Center for Cognitive Neuroscience. She is a member of DU Psychology’s Affect-Social-Cognitive area and affiliated with the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience program. Dr. Chiew is interested in how motivation and affect — what we want and how we feel — shape the way we allocate attention, control task performance, and learn and remember information; ultimately, supporting adaptive behavior. CV \| Email \| Google Scholar \| Department Profile
	Alyssa Asmar Graduate Student Alyssa is a second-year graduate student from Michigan in the ASC area supervised by Dr. Chiew and Dr. Kateri McRae. She received her B.S. in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience from the University of Michigan and spent the year after graduation as lab manager for the MAC and AACT Labs at the University of Denver. She is excited to continue her work in these labs to explore her interests in emotion regulation and how affective and cognitive processes can affect memory. In her free time, Alyssa loves to spend time in the mountains, create jewelry, and roller skate! Email
	Rachel Brough Graduate Student Rachel is a second-year graduate student in the ASC area. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with degrees in Cognitive Neuroscience and Anthropology, and then spent two years working as a research technician there on the Dual Mechanisms of Cognitive Control project, led by Dr. Todd Braver. Rachel is interested in the neural and cognitive mechanisms underlying how cognitive control is adapted in response to different types of motivational and emotional contexts. She is also interested in how lab-based measures of cognitive control translate to executive functioning skills in daily life. Outside of the lab, Rachel enjoys reading, hiking, dancing, thrift shopping, and spoiling her cat, Chamomile. Email
	Jay Von Monteza Graduate Student Von is a second-year graduate student in the ASC area supervised by Dr. Peter Sokol-Hessner and Dr. Chiew. Originally from the Philippines, he lived in Southern California for most of his life, where he earned his Associate degree in Psychology and Art from Riverside City College (RCC) and his Bachelor degree in Psychology from California State University, San Bernardino (CSUSB). Before joining the Sokol-Hessner lab and the MAC lab, Von was a research assistant in the Koshino lab at CSUSB, the STEM en familia program at RCC, and the Virtual Lab at the Center for Decision Research, Chicago Booth. He is interested in interactions between attention, memory, emotion, motivation, reasoning, cognitive control, and decision-making in both neurotypical and neurodivergent populations. Outside the lab, Von enjoys music, manga, anime, k-dramas, hikes, and drawing. Email
	Megan Lucyshyn Undergraduate Student Megan is a junior undergraduate student at DU from Pewaukee, Wisconsin. She is majoring in Molecular Biology and minoring in Psychology with a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience, Chemistry, and Physiology in Health and Disease. After college she wishes to pursue medical school with a focus on emergency medicine. She is interested in motivation and the impact that outside factors have on it. In her free time Megan works as an EMT and is a swimmer for DU’s swim and dive team.
	Audrey Ng Undergraduate Student Audrey is a fourth-year undergraduate student at DU. She is majoring in biology and psychology with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience. After college, she plans to pursue a health-related career. In her free time, she loves doing art, biking, and playing the ukulele.
	Chase Spurbeck Undergraduate Student Chase is a fourth-year undergraduate student at the University of Denver, pursuing his bachelor’s in Psychology, with a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience, and minors in Biology and Chemistry. He plans to attend medical school and hopes to become a psychiatrist. Chase is interested in neurobiological differences and mechanisms of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation in relation to mood disorders. In his free time, he likes to read, run, and ski.
	Ouija Lab Affiliate Ouija is from Colorado and was adopted from Rocky Mountain Feline Rescue. His hobbies include contributing to Dr. Chiew’s grants by walking on keyboards, requesting more food (always), monitoring the outdoor squirrel situation, and napping.
	Chamomile Lab Affiliate Chamomile (or Cami for short!) is a graduate student affiliate from St. Louis, Missouri. She takes her role of providing emotional support cuddles very seriously, and enjoys bird watching, testing out new places to nap, and confiscating pens to hide under the couch.
	Charlie Lab Affiliate Charlie is from Illinois and was adopted 3 years ago. After a long day of assisting Megan and Dr. Chiew in the lab, his hobbies include eating, sleeping, and playing with his sister, Ellie.
	Ellie Lab Affiliate Ellie is from Green Bay, Wisconsin and was adopted 5 years ago. Her hobbies include barking at everything, playing with her brother Charlie, and eating wood chips. She enjoys helping Megan and Dr. Chiew study motivation with treats and toys.
	Could this be you? We may have opportunities for motivated and reliable undergraduate and graduate students to join the MAC Lab! Interested students should email Dr. Chiew to discuss potential research opportunities. We value the cultivation of a supportive and inclusive scientific training environment and particularly encourage individuals from groups underrepresented in science to get in touch.

Lab Photos & Alumni