Mohan Gupta

Department: Psychology
Faculty Adviser: Jordan Taylor
Year of Study:
Undergraduate School: Michgan State University
Undergraduate Major: Neuroscience; Psychology

Personal Bio

I grew up in rural Michigan on a small farm and attended Michigan State University. I became interested in psychology and research through Oliver Sacks' book, "The Man who Mistook His Wife for a Hat" and started research from my first year in University. From there, I was a lab manager at UC Los Angeles and completed my PhD at UC San Diego. In my free time I like to dabble in music creation, play RTS games like Age of Empires, backpack, travel to different countries, and work on my startup, MIDIScale, which accelerates piano learning by leveraging scientific principles of optimal learning techniques.

Fun Fact

I'm missing part of my brain.

Research Pitch

My research interests fall into three categories: (1) declarative learning (e.g., text book learning), (2) motor skill learning (e.g., piano learning), and (3) artificial intelligence (AI). Largely, my human research can viewed through the lens of how to optimize learning through furthering our theoretical understanding of underlying learning mechanisms and systems. I have done this by investigating mechanisms of retrieval based learning (i.e., testing effect) in declarative learning. In motor skill learning, my previous research challenged the predominant idea that all motor skill learning occurs during rest or sleep. My research suggested that it occurs concurrently with practice. Currently, I am investigating multi-skill learning and how these tasks influence each other through the transfer of cognitive fatigue, interference, and memory structure formation. Finally, in AI, I'm interested in comparing human learning and memory systems to that found in AI models like chatGPT. I am also very interested in using AI models for music composition and arrangement.

Upcoming Programs That I Am Attending:

Plans for Summer 2025

Not available to participate in Summer ReMatch+ program.