Our sensory worlds are filled with information, but we are only aware of a vsmall proportion of it at any particular moment in time. Attention is the mechanism that prioritizes processing according to our goals. But what determines what our goals are and how well we can maintain them over time and in the face of distractions? Research in the lab focuses on how behavioral goals and prior experiences interact with sensory events to determine perception and cognition. To study these topics we use a combination of eye-tracking, psychophysics, virtual reality, fMRI and EEG/ERPs, and work with others to use TMS, pharmacology and patient studies.