Pernille Hemmer

Pernille Hemmer is a Professor in the Department of Cognitive Psychology at Rutgers University. She joined the faculty in 2012 after completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Syracuse University and earning her Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine's Department of Cognitive Science. Her research focuses on memory systems, decision-making in naturalistic environments, and Bayesian models of cognition. She leads the CCM Lab (https://sites.rutgers.edu/ccm-lab/), investigating how prior knowledge integrates with episodic memory and influences cognitive processes.

Key research interests include:

• Episodic and semantic memory integration
• Optimal use of prior knowledge in cognitive tasks
• Bayesian analysis of individual differences in rational models
• Belief systems and agency perception

Her work spans experimental psychology, computational modeling, and interdisciplinary approaches. Notable contributions include developing generalized Bayesian models of reconstructive memory and frameworks for understanding belief dynamics. Recent research explores socially cognizant robotics and counterintuitive concepts across domains.

Awards:

• Higher-Level Cognition Modeling Prize (2008)

Her National Science Foundation CAREER grant (2015) supports applications of Bayesian inference to memory and decision-making. Current projects examine temporal binding mechanisms and the memorability of supernatural concepts through novel methodological tools.