
I am a cognitive and computational neuroscientist, currently a postdoctoral fellow and Research Associate at Dr. Mark Gluck's lab at the Center for Molecular and Behavioral Neuroscience at Rutgers University. My research focuses on how the brain encodes, stores, and organizes information in memory. I approach these questions by studying unique learning states (e.g., during sleep, or in patients with psychiatric disorders) to elucidate the general underlying mechanisms involved.
My research interests include: The effects of sleep on learning; hippocampal-dependent memory and its involvement in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); the brain mechanisms behind creativity and insight; associative processes in semantic memory in healthy and schizophrenic individuals; language acquisition; and reinforcement learning in young and elderly adults.
My research interests include: The effects of sleep on learning; hippocampal-dependent memory and its involvement in Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); the brain mechanisms behind creativity and insight; associative processes in semantic memory in healthy and schizophrenic individuals; language acquisition; and reinforcement learning in young and elderly adults.

Curriculum Vitae |
Education
Ph.D., Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2013. Computational Neuroscience. Advisors: Dr. Shlomo Bentin, Dr. Oren Shriki.
B.A., Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2002. Psychobiology. Magna Cum Laude
B.A., Hebrew University of Jerusalem, 2002. Psychobiology. Magna Cum Laude
Research Grants
2019 – 2020 NIH/NIMH 1R21MH119020-01A1 (Lerner, Co-PI) $140,302
Enhancing the Efficiency of Non-REM Sleep Temporal Dynamics to Improve Insight Learning
2015 – 2019 NSF/BCS 1461009 (Lerner, Co-PI) $586,326
Neurocognitive Studies of Sleep and the Generalization of Emotional Learning and Threat Detection.
2016 – 2018 DoD W911NF-16-C-0018 (Lerner, Co-PI) $465,435
IMPACTS: Improving Memory Performance by Augmenting Consolidation with Transcranial Stimulation
2012 – 2016 NSF/SHB:EXP 1231515 (as effective co-PI) $552,307
Long-Term Mobile Monitoring and Analysis of Sleep-Cognition Relationship.
Enhancing the Efficiency of Non-REM Sleep Temporal Dynamics to Improve Insight Learning
2015 – 2019 NSF/BCS 1461009 (Lerner, Co-PI) $586,326
Neurocognitive Studies of Sleep and the Generalization of Emotional Learning and Threat Detection.
2016 – 2018 DoD W911NF-16-C-0018 (Lerner, Co-PI) $465,435
IMPACTS: Improving Memory Performance by Augmenting Consolidation with Transcranial Stimulation
2012 – 2016 NSF/SHB:EXP 1231515 (as effective co-PI) $552,307
Long-Term Mobile Monitoring and Analysis of Sleep-Cognition Relationship.