Ayanna Kim Thomas is an American scientist,author,and cognitive researcher and the Dean of the Graduate School of Tufts School of Arts and Sciences. She also served as Dean Research for the School from 2025 to 2021.[1] Her research focuses on the intersection of memory and aging,particularly as those fields relate to brain and cognitive science. She is a founding member of SPARK Society,[2] editor-in-chief of the journal Memory &Cognition,and a fellow of the Psychonomic Society and the American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program.[3]
Thomas' journey to professorship began as a research scientist at Washington University. In 2004,she transitioned to assistant professor at Colby College in the Department of Psychology. In 2007,Thomas became an assistant professor at Tufts University. In 2019,she was promoted to professor at the Tufts University Department of Psychology,and named Editor-in-Chief of the journal Memory &Cognition, starting her term on January 1,2020.[7][8]
In 2021,Thomas was appointed as the Dean of Research for School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University.[6] In February 2025,she was appointed as the Dean of Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. [9] Thomas is a founding member of the SPARK Society which is devoted to increasing representation in cognitive sciences for underrepresented minorities.[2] Thomas has acquired fellow memberships with the Psychonomic Society and American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program.[3]
Research
Thomas's research is in the field of psychology,memory and cognitive aging.[10] Her approach to research is translational with the use of different methodological techniques.[3] She is the principal investigator at the Cognitive Aging and Memory Lab at Tufts University.[11]
Thomas, Ayanna K.; Millar, Peter R. (March 2012). "Reducing the framing effect in older and younger adults by encouraging analytic processing". The Journals of Gerontology. Series B, Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. 67 (2): 139–149. doi:10.1093/geronb/gbr076. hdl:10.1093/geronb/gbr076. ISSN1758-5368. PMID21964668.
↑ Thomas, Ayanna K (2001). Changing belief to memory: the role of sensory enhanced imagination and semantic activation in the creation and quality of false memories (Thesis). OCLC48647113.
↑ "People". Cognitive Aging And. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
↑ Thomas, A.; Gutchess, A., eds. (2020). The Cambridge Handbook of Cognitive Aging: A Life Course Perspective. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN9781108552684.
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