Nichole Lighthall

Dr. Nichole Lighthall is an Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Ph.D. Program in HFC Psychology at the University of Central Florida (UCF). She holds a B.A. from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. in Gerontology from USC, with postdoctoral training at Duke University’s Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development. Her research focuses on neural models of decision-making in aging, integrating methods like fMRI, computational modeling, and biomarker sampling to understand cognitive-affective interactions in aging populations. Current projects explore technology use patterns in older adults, social judgment involving AI agents, and fall risk assessment innovations. She leads the Adult Development & Decision (AD&D) Lab and actively seeks Ph.D. candidates for Fall 2025.

Education:

• B.A. Psychology, University of California, Berkeley
• Ph.D. Gerontology, University of Southern California

Research Interests:

• Neural mechanisms of aging decision processes
• Social cognitive neuroscience in digital environments
• Technology adoption in older adults
• Value integration and memory effects in decisions

Awards:

• UCF Research Incentive Award

Advising & Grants:

• Ph.D. Program leadership
• Recipient of NIH-funded fall prevention project
• AFRL grant on decision-making under uncertainty

Labs/Teams:

• Director of Lighthall Lab and AD&D Lab
• Collaborations with Florida Consortium to Reduce Misinformation