Jennifer L. O'Brien

Dr. Jennifer L. O’Brien is an Assistant Professor at the University of South Florida, specializing in cognitive psychology with a focus on perception, attention, and decision-making mechanisms. Her research investigates how motivational value influences sensory processing and attention, particularly in aging populations using behavioral and neurophysiological methods. She holds a Ph.D. from Bangor University (UK) and three B.A. degrees in Psychology, Mass Communications, and French from the University of South Florida.

Key research interests include:

• Neural correlates of attention and decision-making
• Cognitive training interventions for older adults
• Interaction between auditory processing and cognition
• Motivational influences on perceptual selection

Her recent work explores dementia-related stigma, hearing loss impacts on cognitive health, and Alzheimer’s prevention strategies. The most frequent publication themes focus on aging populations, cognitive neuroscience, and translational research in clinical settings.

Dr. O’Brien has contributed to over 20 peer-reviewed articles since 2013, with notable studies demonstrating auditory attention improvements through cognitive training and identifying neural markers of mild cognitive impairment.