The Preston Lab

Home
United States
Austin, TX
The Preston Lab

The Preston Lab is a group of neuroscientists who study how the human brain supports memory. YOU can help us learn about the brain!

We are a part of the Department of Psychology and the Center for Learning and Memory at the University of Texas at Austin. Our lab uses a combination of behavioral and brain imaging techniques (functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI) to explore how we form new memories, how we remember past experiences, and how our memory for the past influences what we learn in the present. We are also interested in how changes in brain structure and function throughout childhood and adolescence relate to the development of memory and reasoning. We are always looking for healthy volunteers ages 6-35 to participate in our research studies. If you or your child are interested in coming in to our lab to do simple computer-based tasks OR letting us take pictures of your or your child's brain using an MRI, please fill out the secure form on our website to see if you are eligible. A researcher will contact you when studies you qualify for are open for enrollment.

09/26/2025

Ever wonder why your child is never on time? Our latest research dives into how children and teens remember when things happen — and what it reveals about their growing minds.

Check out the paper here: https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/hyznm_v1

09/25/2025

We had a blast at UT Brainstorms last week, and now you can watch the full video from "The Remembering Brain" online!

This event featured Dr. Preston alongside fellow UT Austin neuroscience experts as they explored how memory works, how it shapes learning, and what it tells us about the developing brain.

Dr. Preston shared insights from our research on how past experiences influence the way we take in new information — a topic central to the work we do here in the Preston Lab.

Watch the full event here: https://utexas.box.com/s/tb4zj4m7lfvqgxjckhgc5qtc3ci2r5es

Big thanks to UT Brainstorms for making neuroscience accessible and engaging for the community!

09/24/2025

We’re so proud of our graduate student, Jianing Mu, who gave a fantastic talk at the 2025 UT
Austin Center for Learning and Memory Retreat! She represented our lab with a talk on how
Efficient uniform sampling yields non-uniform memory of narrative stories.

09/23/2025

Dr. Preston had an amazing time last night as a guest speaker for UT Austin Synapse! It was a pleasure connecting with such passionate and curious neuroscience students — thank you for the warm welcome and engaging conversation!

09/22/2025

Welcome to the Lab, Mengcun!

We are excited to welcome Dr. Mengcun Gao as our new postdoctoral researcher in the Preston Lab! She received her Ph.D. this May from the Ohio State University where she worked under the supervision of Dr. Vladimir Sloutsky. Mengcun’s work has been focused on category learning and cognitive development, and she is now beginning an exciting new project on how children and adults learn categories with complex structures and engage in inductive generalization! We are thrilled to have her join the team and kick off this new journey!

Address

Austin, TX
78712

Telephone

(512) 232-5145

Website

http://Preston.clm.utexas.edu/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when The Preston Lab posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to The Preston Lab:

Shortcuts

Featured

Psych Dimensions

Want your practice to be the top-listed Clinic in Austin?