When you hear something, how is that information processed along the pathways from your ear to your auditory cortex, and how does it influence the rest of your brain? In turn, how does your brain modulate incoming sounds (e.g., to reduce distraction)? My research team and I study auditory processing and the neural events that underlie auditory perception, attention, and memory, and to what degree sensory and perceptual processes may define cognitive capacity. We have recently begun to explore the effects of caffeine on various cognitive processes and brain responses.
Trained in cognitive neuroscience, I have experience with several psychophysiological and brain imaging methods. My research in the Rhodes Cognitive Neuroscience Lab focuses on brain activity, but we can also measure other physiological responses (e.g., heart rate, muscle activity). The lab is equipped with a sound booth and psychophysiological recording equipment, as well as various methods for behavioral and auditory testing.
I teach several Psychology courses, many of which also contribute to the interdisciplinary major in Neuroscience. My research team includes Psychology and Neuroscience majors, as well as students considering those areas.
Outside work, I thoroughly enjoy spending time with my charming and cognition-inspiring sons, Peter (16) and Karl (4), and my stunning wife, Helen (the other Dr. Sable).
Ph.D. in Psychology (Cognition & Neuroscience), University of Missouri-Columbia
M.S. in Psychology (Physiological Psychology/Behavioral Neuroscience), Kansas State University
B.A. in Psychology, Drury College
Psychology 105 – TOPICS: INTRODUCTION TO NEUROIMAGING
Psychology 150 – FOUNDATIONAL ISSUES IN PSYCHOLOGY
Psychology 216 – PERCEPTION
Psychology 326 – LEARNING AND MEMORY
Psychology 327 – COGNITIVE PROCESSES
Psychology 350 – ADVANCED TOPICS IN RESEARCH METHODS: RANDOMIZED EXPERIMENTS
Psychology 353 – ADVANCED TOPICS IN RESEARCH METHODS: PSYCHOPSYCHOLOGY
Sable, J. J., Rector, D. M. & Gratton, G. (2007). Optical neurophysiology based on animal models. IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine, 26, 17-24.
McCluskey, M. D., Sable, J. J., Foust, A. J., Gratton, G., & Rector, D. M. (2007). Recording invertebrate nerve activation with modulated light changes. Applied Optics, 46, 1866-1871.
Sable, J. J., Low, K. A., Whalen, C. J., Maclin, E. L., Fabiani, M., & Gratton, G. (2007). Optical imaging of temporal integration in human auditory cortex. European Journal of Neuroscience, 25, 298-306.
Fabiani, M., Low, K. A., Wee, E., Sable, J. J., & Gratton, G. (2006). Reduced suppression or labile memory? Mechanisms of inefficient filtering of irrelevant information in older adults. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 18, 637-650.
Sable, J. J., Low, K. A., Maclin, E. L., Fabiani, M., & Gratton, G. (2004). Latent inhibition mediates N1 attenuation to repeating sounds. Psychophysiology, 41, 636-642.
Maclin, E. L., Low, K. A., Sable, J. J., Fabiani, M., & Gratton, G. (2004). The event related optical signal (EROS) to electrical stimulation of the median nerve. NeuroImage, 21, 1798-1804.
Sable, J. J., Gratton, G., & Fabiani, M. (2003). Sound presentation rate is represented logarithmically in human cortex. European Journal of Neuroscience, 17, 2492-2496.
Cady, R. K., Farmer, K. U., Griesemer, K., & Sable, J. (1996). Prevalence of headache in children. Headache Quarterly, 7, 312-318.