Ayanna Kim Thomas
Ayanna Kim Thomas is an American scientist, author, and cognitive researcher. Her research centers on the intersection of memory and aging, particularly as those fields relate to brain and cognitive science. She is the Editor-in-Chief of the journal "Memory & Cognition." Early life. Thomas grew up in New York and attended Catholic school. She later attended Bronx High School of Science. Education and career. Ayanna Thomas received her B.A. in African American Studies and Psychology from Wesleyan University in 1996 and went on to earn her PhD in Psychology from the University of Washington in 2001 . She then completed her post-doctoral work as a National Institute of Aging (NIA) Fellow at Washington University in St. Louis in 2004. Her journey to professorship began as a Research Scientist at Washington University in 2004 and transitioned to Assistant Professor at Colby College in the Department of Psychology. In 2007, Thomas became an Assistant Professor at Tufts University. In 2019, Thomas was promoted from Associate Professor to Professor at the Tufts University Department of Psychology. As of 2021, Thomas is the Dean of Research of the School of Arts and Sciences at Tufts University. Thomas is a founding  member of The SPARK Society which is devoted to increasing representation in cognitive sciences for underrepresented minorities. In 2019 Thomas was named Editor-in-Chief of the journal "Memory & Cognition", her term started January 1, 2020. Research. Thomas is known for her work in the field of psychology, memory, and cognitive aging. Over her career, Thomas has produced nearly 70 peer-reviewed publications and has published in the Cambridge University Press with the 2020 release of "The Cambridge Handbook of Cognitive Aging: A Life Course Perspective". Her research has been covered by several organizations including I Am a Scientist, National  Public Radio, CBC News in Canada, and Popular Science. Honors and awards. In 2018, Thomas received a Dalmas Taylor Award from the American Psychological Association. She received a mid-career award from the Psychonomic Society in 2021.