Dr. Rivera conducts research on the origins and development of symbolic representation in both infants and children. She uses classic behavioral as well as neuroimaging (fMRI) techniques to investigate such things as language acquisition, concept formation, object representation, and numerical cognition. As a member of the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, she also conducts research contrasting typical development with that of children with neurodevelopmental disorders including Autism and fragile X Syndrome. One of her main research goals is to build a framework for integrating the previously disparate methodological and theoretical orientations of cognitive developmental and neuroscience research. By employing a variety of converging research techniques, she strives to elucidate the complex brain-behavior relationships that underlie cognitive development.

Teaching Interests:
Developmental Neuroscience; Cognitive Development; and Numerical Representation and Reasoning.

Courses Taught:
PSC 146 Development of Memory
PSC 141 Cognitive Development
PSC 290 Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (graduate seminar) - Term(s): Spring
PSC 212A Cognitive and Perceptual Development - Term(s): Spring

Publications:

Rivera, S.M. and Koldewyn, K. (in press). Unraveling the mystery of motion perception impairments in autism: Some further considerations. Current Psychology of Cognition.

Rivera, S.M., David, N., Henry, M.L., Adams, J., Barcellos, T., Brunberg, J.A. and Hagerman, R.J. (under review). Cerebellar dysfunction in older males with the fragile X premutation: An fMRI investigation.

Rivera, S.M., Reiss, A.L, Eckert, M.A., and Menon, V. (2005). Developmental changes in mental arithmetic: Evidence for increased functional specialization of the left inferior parietal cortex. Cerebral Cortex, 15(5).

Hessl,D., Rivera, S.M., and Reiss, A.L. (2004) The Neuroanatomy and Neuroendocrinology of Fragile X Syndrome. Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities Research Reviews, 10:17-24.

Langer, J., Rivera, S.M., Schlesinger, M., and Wakeley, A. (2002). Early Cognitive Development: Ontogeny and Phylogeny. In: Valsiner, J. & Connolly, K. (Eds.), Handbook of Developmental Psychology. London: Sage.

Rivera, S.M., Menon, V., White, C.D., Glaser, B., Glover, G. and Reiss, A.L. (2002). Functional brain activation during arithmetic processing in females with fragile X Syndrome is related to FMR-1 protein expression. Human Brain Mapping.16(4),206-21

Mackenzie, K., Rivera, S.M., Menon, V., Reiss, A.L., and Glover, G. (2002). Arithmetic processing of incongruent arithmetic equations: A functional MRI study. Human Brain Mapping 16(2),119-30.

Menon V., Rivera S.M., White C.D., Glover G.H., Reiss A.L. (2000). Dissociating Prefrontal and Parietal Activation During Arithmetic Processing. Neuroimage, 12, (4), 357-365.

Menon V., Rivera S.M., White C.D., Eliez S., Glover G.H., Reiss A.L. (2000). Functional Optimization of Arithmetic Processing in Perfect Performers. Cognitive Brain Research, 9 (3) 343-345.

Rivera, S.M., Wakeley, A. & Langer, J. (1999). The drawbridge phenomenon: representational reasoning or perceptual preference? Developmental Psychology, v35(2), 427-435.