Faculty Profiles

Dr. Carmen E Westerberg

Professor — Psychology

THH 253M

phone: (512) 245-3152

cw54@txstate.edu

Human memory, sleep, memory consolidation, aging, Alzheimer's disease

Selected Scholarly/Creative Work

Westerberg, C. E., Fickle, S. E., Troupe, C. E., Madden-Rusnak, A., & Deason, R. G. (2024). An afternoon nap facilitates analogical transfer in creative problem solving. Journal of Sleep Research, e14419. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.14419
Wofford, N., Ceballos, N., Westerberg, C. E., & Elkins, G. (2022). A brief nap during an acute stressor improves negative affect. Journal of Sleep Research, e13701. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsr.13701
Westerberg, C., Hawkins, C. A., & Rendon, L. C. (2018). Sleep-dependent reductions in reality-monitoring errors arise from more conservative decision criteria. Learning & Memory, 25(2), 105–108. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.046342.118
Batterink, L., Westerberg, C. E., & Paller, K. A. (2017). Vocabulary learning benefits from REM after slow-wave sleep. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 144, 102–113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nlm.2017.07.001
Westerberg, C. E., Mayes, A., Florczak, S. M., Chen, Y., Creery, J., Parrish, T., … Paller, K. A. (2013). Distinct medial temporal contributions to different forms of recognition in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Neuropsychologia, 51, 2450–2461.

Award / Honor Recipient: Presidential Research Leave Award, Texas State University. August 2024 - May 2025
Award / Honor Recipient: Presidential Distinction Award for Excellence in Service, Office of the President, Texas State University. 2024
Award / Honor Recipient: Favorite Professor, Alpha Chi National College Honor Society. March 2024
Award / Honor Recipient: Excellence in Research Funding and Sponsored Programs, College of Liberal Arts, Texas State University. August 2020
Award / Honor Recipient: Presidential Seminar Award, Office of the President, Texas State University. August 21, 2015

Pan, Xi (Principal), Hwang, Sangchul Scott (Co-Principal), Westerberg, Carmen E (Supporting), Zhao, Qiang (Supporting). Exposure to Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) on Cognitive Function in Firefighters in Central Texas, Texas State University, $30000. (Funded: 2023 - 2024). Grant.
Westerberg, Carmen E. Matthew Pecot Award, McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $16500. (Submitted: February 2021, Funded: May 2021 - April 2022). Grant.
Westerberg, Carmen E (Principal), Paller, Ken A (Co-Principal), Trujillo, Logan Thomas (Supporting). Does superior sleep physiology contribute to superior memory function? Implications for counteracting forgetting, McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience, Memory and Cognitive Disorders Award, Private / Foundation / Corporate, $300000. (Submitted: September 3, 2019, Funded: February 1, 2020 - January 31, 2023). Grant.
Westerberg, Carmen E. Improving Analogical Problem Solving Through Sleep, Research Enhancement Program, Texas State University, $8000. (Submitted: October 2017, Funded: January 2018 - August 2019). Grant.
Hegde Niezgoda, Asha Latha (Principal), Westerberg, Carmen E (Co-Principal), Martinez-Ramos, Gloria P. (Co-Principal), Ahn, Mira (Co-Principal). Effects of indoor lighting interventions on sleep, well-being, and safety in older adults living independently in public housing, Multidisciplinary Team Incentive, Texas State University, $2460. (Funded: July 2016 - Present). Grant.

Associate Chair

Psychology Department

September 2021-Present

Reviewer / Referee

National Science Foundation

2024-2024

Chair

Alliance of Researchers in Aging (ARIA)

January 2024-December 2024

Chair

Promotion and Outreach Committee

January 2024-December 2024

Psychology Department Respondent

International Research Conference for Graduate Students

November 7, 2017-November 7, 2017