From exploring the intricacies of memory to leading innovative training programs, Dr. Daniela Palombo has made significant contributions as both a neuroscientist and mentor. How has her journey shaped her approach to both research and teaching?
As a child, Dr. Palombo was a dreamer, aspiring to become a children’s book author, a lawyer, and a photographer, among other things.
“Becoming a ‘neuroscientist’ or ‘memory researcher’ was never on the list,” she reflects.
Her interest in psychology began in high school and continued to flourish in university, where she fell in love with cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology.
“I was never really interested in memory as an undergraduate,” she jokingly recalls. “At the time, I think I had a narrow understanding of what memory really was and how we could study it.”
Her appreciation and passion for the field of memory grew in the later years of her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto. Initially focused on trauma and PTSD, she soon recognized the foundational role of autobiographical memory in understanding these topics and mental health more broadly. Today, she leads the Memory and Imagination lab, exploring how we use memories to create meaning in our lives and how they shape our self-perception.
“When you think about the question, ‘Who am I?’ we often draw on our autobiographical memories to find the answer,” she explains.
Autobiographical memory encompasses everything we know about ourselves – who we are, pivotal experiences, and our personal life narratives. One’s personal history – prominent childhood experiences, leadership moments, relationships – builds up to form our identity. But our identity is also shaped by societal norms, which can influence how we encode and remember our life experiences.
Thanks to funding from the Women’s Health Research Institute and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Dr. Palombo is excited to be studying how fertility-related experiences shape memory, self-schema and well-being. Her team is currently in the data collection phase, but she is excited about the potential results. With this research, she is exploring how societal norms affect experiences and memories.
“This work taps into the intersection of memory and personal identity,” she explains. “For example, we might experience something more harshly if it defies societal or personal norms.”
Recently, her lab published a collaboration with Dr. Brendan Gaesser’s lab from the University at Albany SUNY, where they explored a topic intricately connected to memory: imagination. Led by Dr. Gaesser’s graduate student Zoë Fowler and in collaboration with Dr. Christopher Madan at the University of Nottingham, the team explored the concept of “collaborative imagination.”
Whether it be a close friend or a blossoming romance, imagining a shared future together seems fundamental to relationships. This study is the first of its kind, investigating how collectively imagining a shared future can help shape the formation of new relationships. Across two studies, the researchers provide evidence that this practice can foster a sense of social connection, suggesting that imagination can affect how close we feel to others.
“We think this work could have important implications for understanding interpersonal relationships or the formation of collective beliefs,” says Dr. Palombo. “We are excited to expand on this work and eventually, we hope to put on a neuroscience lens, where we can explore how our brains ‘sync up’ with others when we collectively imagine or remember.”
In addition to her research, Dr. Palombo has demonstrated leadership with the co-creation of the fMRI Brain Camp at UBC—a one-week program designed to bring together a dispersed neuroimaging community and provide strong methodological grounding across departments and faculties.
“There was clearly a need within UBC for more hands-on neuroimaging training,” she says. “I credit the amazing DMCBH and psychology trainees for the success of fMRI Brain Camp. This year, they taught the course all on their own and they rocked it!”
Along with her trainees, she was motivated to start this program to provide a space for students to ask any questions they have, no matter how small.
“This is how we learn and grow,” she explains. “And critically, this is how we fill the gaps in our knowledge, going from a piecemeal understanding of something to ‘expert.’”
Mentorship is a central theme in Dr. Palombo’s career.
“I really do love working with and mentoring students. They have so much passion and energy and they get me really excited about science,” she says.
Inspired by her own mentor, Dr. Rebecca Todd, Dr. Palombo emphasizes authenticity in her interactions with students.
“I try to show them the highs but also the lows of my day to day, be it a grant rejection, a day of low productivity, or trying to juggle work and young kids.”
Through her approach, Dr. Palombo not only helps her students develop technical skills but also prepares them to navigate the challenges of a research career with resilience and collaboration. When she isn’t making strides in research and supporting trainees, Dr. Palombo can be found chasing her kids around splash pads and parks.
