Name: Paulina Maxim

Ph.D. Dissertation Defense Meeting

Date: Monday, November 16, 2026

Time: 3:00 – 5:00 PM

Location: https://gatech.zoom.us/j/97040622863

Dissertation Chair/Advisor: 

Thackery Brown, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)

Dissertation Committee Members:

Scott Moffat, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)

Mark Wheeler, Ph.D. (Georgia Tech)

Shayna Rosenbaum, Ph.D. (York University)

Daniel Drane, Ph.D. (Ohio State University)

Title: The role of hippocampus and medial prefrontal subregions in age-related changes in spatial memory and navigation strategies

Abstract: Spatial navigation is fundamental to survival and ubiquitous in daily life, yet navigating efficiently and effectively can become progressively more challenging as we age. Our population is aging, and degraded cognitive map precision, engagement in spatial versus response-based strategies, and flexibility interacting with spatial memory are common correlates. Knowing which information to attend to, retain in memory, and strategically retrieve helps us become better navigators, and neural differences across the lifespan can shed light on the changes to the mechanisms supporting these key functions. Theories vary in how adversarial hippocampus and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) functions are for schema memory. Extant literature suggests there may be different stages of goal-directed navigation that are more demanding on hippocampal mechanisms than others, and demands may differ further depending on how closely-aligned routes are with prior navigational experiences in the environment. Such alignment may also influence how dissociable hippocampal mechanisms are from mPFC correlates of performance. This thesis examines whether cognitive maps are more at risk for weaker representations of the environment with age, which could change how the cognitive map, as a schema, influences learning, planning, and online decision-making.