Tracy Riggins received her Ph.D. in Child Psychology from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota in 2005. She completed postdoctoral fellowships in pediatric neuroimaging at the University of California, Davis and the University of Maryland, School of Medicine in Baltimore. The goal of her research program is to provide better understanding of memory development by examining changes in neural substrates supporting this ability. The empirical research conducted in her laboratory involves both typically developing children and children at-risk for cognitive impairments and uses a combination of behavioral, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging methodologies. Findings from her research have revealed that early childhood is a time of rapid change in children’s ability to remember life events. Dr. Riggins current work examines the neural mechanisms underlying changes in memory in early childhood, including how sleep, stress, and parenting impact these relations.  Dr. Riggins currently teaches an undergraduate course in Developmental Psychology (PSYC355) and a graduate seminar on Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience.

Areas of Interest

  • development
  • memory
  • cognition
  • cognitive neuroscience

Doctoral Programs

  • Cognitive and Neural Systems (CNS)
  • Developmental

Degrees

  • PhD
    University of Minnesota

Current Students

Former Students

  • Student Name
    Leslie Rollins
    Current Position
    Assistant Professor, Christopher Newport Univeristy

Related Students (Listed by Student on Student's Profile)

  • Brooke Kohn
  • Isabella Schneider
Tracy Riggins photo
Biology/Psychology Building (BPS) 2147J
Department of Psychology
Email
riggins [at] umd.edu