STEPHANIE LEAL
CONTACT INFORMATION
3400 N Charles St, Ames Hall 110
Baltimore, MD 21218
stephanie.leal@jhu.edu
213.215.6743
RESEARCH INTERESTS
I am interested in the neurobiology of memory in the context of aging and dementia. In particular, I
investigate long-term memory mechanisms of the hippocampus and how these processes change
over the lifespan. A related interest is the significant comorbidity of depression and Alzheimer’s
disease, two disorders that share many features in terms of long-term memory loss and
hippocampal vulnerability. In order to better understand this comorbidity, I study memory for
emotional events and how these processes are altered in depressed individuals over the lifespan. I
apply high-resolution neuroimaging techniques (structural, functional, and diffusion) to examine
contributions of hippocampal subfields and surrounding regions such as the amygdala to such
memory phenomena and age-related dysfunction.
EDUCATION
2011 - 2016
Ph.D. (expected)
Johns Hopkins University
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences
2011 – 2013
M.A.
Johns Hopkins University
Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences
2007 - 2011
B.S.
University of California, Santa Barbara
Bachelor of Science in Biopsychology
RESEARCH & PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
9/11 – present
Graduate Research Assistant, Neuroscience of Memory, Aging, and
Dementia Lab (PI: Michael Yassa)
Johns Hopkins School of Arts and Sciences
Research topics: Understanding the neural mechanisms underlying emotional
memory (dys)function in the human medial temporal lobe in healthy and
depressed young and older adults. I use experimental psychology and highresolution neuroimaging tools to address these questions.
7/10 – 7/11
Research Assistant, Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, (PI: Michael Miller)
University of California, Santa Barbara
Responsibilities: Assisted in acquiring behavioral and fMRI data from episodic
memory tasks in depressed young and older adults.
7/10 – 7/11
Caregiver, Senior Helpers
Responsibilities: Provide services such as companionship, medication
reminders, driving to/from places, and other general assistance. Gained
experience in working with older adults with epilepsy and dementia.
3/09 – 9/10
Research Assistant, Behavioral Pharmacology Lab, (PI: Aaron Ettenberg)
University of California, Santa Barbara
Responsibilities: Performed experiments using animal models to identify the
neurobiological substrates that underlie motivated behaviors such as nicotine
addiction. Sectioned rodent brains using a cryostat, mounted them on slides,
and stained cell bodies of the brain using immunohistochemistry methods.
1/09 – 9/10
Research Assistant, Behavioral Pharmacology Lab, (PI: Osnat Ben Shahar)
University of California, Santa Barbara
Responsibilities: Performed experiments using animal models to better
understand the neural mechanisms underlying stimulant abuse. Performed
intravenous catheter surgery on rats as well as sectioned the rodent brains with
a cryostat and mounted them on slides.
9/08 – 12/08
Research Assistant, Vision & Image Understanding Lab (PI: Miguel Eckstein)
University of California, Santa Barbara
Responsibilities: Focused on trying to understand the brain mechanisms by
which humans deploy attention and eye movements. Learned how to use eyetracking technology.
TEACHING
2/14 – 5/14
2/13 – 5/13
9/12 – 12/12
2/12 – 5/12
10/23/13
11/20/13
Teaching Assistant, Foundations of Mind, Dr. Lisa Feigenson
Teaching Assistant, Psychology of Aging, Dr. Michela Gallagher
Teaching Assistant, Psychopharmacology, Dr. Linda Gorman
Teaching Assistant, Functional Human Neuroanatomy, Dr. Susan Courtney
Guest Lecture, False Memory, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
Guest Lecture, Emotion and Fear, Neurobiology of Learning and Memory
HONORS & AWARDS
2014
2013 – present
2013
2012 – 2013
2011 – 2014
2011
2011
2011
2009 – 2011
Fellowship, Summer Institute in Cognitive Neuroscience, UCSB
Pre-doctoral Fellow, Research Training in Age-Related Cognitive Disorders
Honorable Mention, NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Walter L. Clark Student Collaborative Research Award, JHU
Robert S. and Dorothy L. Waldrop Graduate Fellowship, JHU
Distinction in the Psychology Major, UCSB
Exceptional Academic Performance in the Psychology Major, UCSB
High Honors (top 6% upon graduation), UCSB
Dean’s Honors, UCSB (all quarters)
INTERNSHIPS
6/09 – 9/09
So. Sacramento Neurological Medical Association
Internship under Dr. Firdos Sheikh where I learned about patient care and
general neurological tests (EEG, EMG). Gained insight into many neurological
disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and epilepsy.
ACADEMIC SERVICE
2011 – 2014
TA Committee for Psychological & Brain Sciences Department
2013 – 2014
Colloquium Committee for Psychological & Brain Sciences Department
2012 – 2014
Active Minds
President and Founder of Active Minds on the JHU campus. Hold events and
activities that raise awareness of mental health issues.
2012 – 2014
JHU Counseling Center Advisory Board
This group provides feedback to the Counseling Center about JHU programs
and services. They also offer suggestions about ways to enhance student life.
2009 – 2011
American Medical Student Association (AMSA)
Vice-President and Co-Founder of AMSA on the UCSB campus. Took on the
task of starting up an organization on campus to help those in need of
assistance in applying to graduate and medical school. Gained leadership
experience and increased my organization and communication skills.
RELEVANT TRAINING & COURSEWORK
6/14 – 7/14
8/13 – 5/14
8/13
8/12
3/12
12/11
Summer Institute in Cognitive Neuroscience (2-week course)
Seminar in Aging, Cognition, and Neurodegenerative Disorders
Training Course in fMRI (2-week workshop, travel award)
MRI Studio Training (2-day workshop)
SPM8 for Basic and Clinical Investigators (5-day workshop)
Network Analysis: Functional Connectivity (5-day workshop)
PUBLICATIONS
Leal, S.L., Yassa, M.A. (2013) Perturbations of Neural Circuitry in Aging, Mild Cognitive
Impairment, and Alzheimer’s Disease. Ageing Research Reviews. 12(3): 823-831.
Leal, S.L., Tighe, S.K., & Yassa, M.A. (2014). Asymmetric effects of emotion on mnemonic
interference. Neurobiology of Learning & Memory. 111: 41-48.
Leal, S.L., Tighe, S.K., Jones, Craig K., Yassa, M.A. (2014). Pattern separation of emotional
information in hippocampal dentate/CA3. Hippocampus. 24: 1146-1155.
Anderson, B.A., Leal, S.L., Hall, M.G., Yassa, M.A., Yantis, S. The attribution of value-based
attentional priority in individuals with depressive symptoms. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral
Neuroscience, 14(4), 1221-1227.
Leal, S.L., Yassa, M.A. (2014). Effects of aging on mnemonic discrimination of emotional
information. Behavioral Neuroscience, 128(5), 539-547.
POSTER PRESENTATIONS
Leal, S., Yassa, M. (2014). Effects of aging on mnemonic discrimination of emotional information.
Society for Neuroscience.
Carlos, K., Leal, S., Roberts, J., Yassa, M. (2014). The effect of reward on discrimination in a visual
pattern separation task. UCI MSTP Retreat, Lake Arrowhead.
Anderson, B. A., Leal, S. L., Hall, M. G., Yassa, M. A., & Yantis, S. (2014). The attribution of valuebased attentional priority in individuals with depressive symptoms. Paper presented at the annual
Object Perception, Attention, and Memory (OPAM) conference, Long Beach, CA.
Partow, C., Leal, S.L., & Yassa, M. (2014). The Relationship Between Sleep Hours, Emotional
Memory, and Neurophysiological Response. JHU PURA Recognition Ceremony.
Leal, S.L., Tighe, S.K., Jones, C.K, Yassa, M.A. (2013). High-resolution fMRI Reveals Amygdala
and Hippocampal Dentate/CA3 Dynamics During Emotional Pattern Separation. Society for
Neuroscience.
Tighe, S., Leal, S.L., Stark, S.M., Stark, C.E., Yassa, M.A. (2013). Resting State fMRI Functional
Connectivity in Individuals with Mild Cognitive Impairment. International Neuropsychological
Society.
Leal, S. , Tighe, S., Stark, S.M., Stark, C.E., Yassa, M.A. (2013). Age-related alterations in intrinsic
functional connectivity networks measured with resting state fMRI. International Neuropsychological
Society.
Leal, S.L., McNary, G., Levitt, E., & Yassa, M.A. (2012). A dual role for amygdala-mediated
emotional modulation of hippocampal pattern separation. Society for Neuroscience.
Yassa, M.A., Leal, S.L., McNary, G., & Levitt, E. (2012). Pattern separation of negative emotional
stimuli is enhanced in depressed adults. Society for Neuroscience.
Tighe, S., Leal, S.L., Stark, S., Stark, C., Lyketsos, C., & Yassa, M. (2012). Anterior cingulate
connectivity in depressed, cognitively impaired older adults. International College of Geriatric
Psychoneuropharmacology.
TALKS
Leal, S.L. (2014). Emotional modulation of memory in depression and cognitive aging. UCI
NeuroBlitz.
Leal, S.L. (2014). Emotional modulation of memory: Alterations in the medial temporal lobe. UCI
NeuroBlitz.
Leal, S.L. (2014). Emotional modulation of memory: Alterations in the medial temporal lobe.
Psychological & Brain Sciences Seminar.
Leal, S.L. (2013). Pattern separation of emotional information. Psychological & Brain Sciences
Biopsychology Area Seminar.
Leal, S.L. (2013). Amygdala-mediated emotional modulation of hippocampal pattern separation.
Psychological & Brain Sciences Seminar.
Leal, S.L. (2013). Amygdala-mediated emotional modulation of hippocampal pattern separation.
Datablitz presented at the Winter Conference for Neurobiology of Learning & Memory, Park City,
UT.
Leal, S.L. (2012). Amygdala-mediated emotional modulation of hippocampal memory.
Psychological & Brain Sciences Biopsychology Area Seminar.
Leal, S.L. (2012). Emotional modulation of hippocampal memory. Psychological & Brain Sciences
Cognitive Area Seminar.
Leal, S.L. (2011). Emotional modulation of hippocampal memory in healthy and depressed adults.
Psychological & Brain Sciences Seminar.