Rate My Professor Matthew Grilli

Matthew Grilli, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at The University of Arizona, where he holds several key leadership positions including Director of the Clinical Program, Director of the Neuropsychology Minor, and Director of the Human Memory Lab. His research focuses on the neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience of memory, imagination, and associated cognitive disorders such as amnesia. Grilli examines individual differences in autobiographical thought, cognitive and brain aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and novel approaches to neuropsychological assessment. Affiliated with the Brain & Body Imaging Center and the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, he contributes to interdisciplinary efforts in understanding memory-related cognitive processes.

Grilli's scholarly contributions have significantly impacted the fields of cognitive psychology and neuropsychology, with his work cited over 2,100 times according to Google Scholar. Notable publications include "Autobiographical event memory and aging: Older adults get the gist" (Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 2022, with S. Sheldon), which highlights how older adults emphasize gist representations in autobiographical recall; "‘All is not lost’—Rethinking the nature of memory and the self in dementia" (Ageing Research Reviews, 2019, with C. Strikwerda-Brown, J. Andrews-Hanna, and M. Irish); and "Personal semantic memory: insights from neuropsychological research on amnesia" (Neuropsychologia, 2014, with M. Verfaellie). Other key works encompass "Mapping the imaginative mind: Charting new paths forward" (Current Directions in Psychological Science, 2021, with J.R. Andrews-Hanna) and "Evidence for reduced autobiographical memory episodic specificity in cognitively normal middle-aged and older individuals at increased risk for Alzheimer’s disease dementia" (Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 2018, with A.A. Wank, J.J. Bercel, and L. Ryan). Forthcoming publications feature chapters on autobiographical memory and aging in The Handbook of Autobiographical Memory, episodic and semantic interactions in Learning and Memory: A Comprehensive Reference, and amnesic syndromes in The Encyclopedia of the Human Brain. His research has been featured in University of Arizona news releases on topics such as autobiographical memory in early Alzheimer’s detection and age-related changes in memory sharing.