cient ist , ▁clin ical ▁psych ologist , ▁writer , ▁pod cast ▁host , ▁human ▁rights ▁activ ist , ▁and ▁psych ology ▁professor ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Virginia ▁in ▁Char l ott es ville , ▁where ▁he ▁serves ▁as ▁director ▁of ▁the ▁Virginia ▁A ffect ive ▁Neu ros cience ▁Labor atory . ▁Co an ' s ▁research ▁on ▁false ▁mem ories ▁and ▁holding ▁hands ▁has ▁attract ed ▁significant ▁media ▁attention . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁as ▁an ▁under grad uate ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Washington , ▁Co an ▁designed ▁the ▁Lost ▁in ▁the ▁Mall ▁technique ▁that ▁successfully ▁impl anted ▁false ▁mem ories ▁first ▁in ▁his ▁little ▁brother , ▁then ▁in ▁several ▁subjects ▁in ▁a ▁formal ▁experiment ▁super vised ▁by ▁psych ology ▁professor ▁Elizabeth ▁Lo ft us , ▁and ▁finally ▁in ▁many ▁more ▁subjects ▁in ▁several ▁rep lication ▁experiments ▁by ▁other ▁research ers . ▁These ▁studies ▁made ▁national ▁news , ▁and ▁contributed ▁to ▁the ▁scientific ▁dis cred iting ▁of ▁repr essed ▁mem ories . ▁Adv oc ates ▁of ▁recovered - memory ▁ther apy ▁critic ized ▁Co an ' s ▁method ▁and ▁attacked ▁Lo ft us ▁on ▁eth ical ▁grounds . ▁ ▁Also ▁as ▁an ▁under grad uate ▁at ▁U W , ▁Co an ▁began ▁working ▁in ▁the ▁marriage ▁lab ▁of ▁psych ology ▁professor ▁John ▁Gott man , ▁a ▁collaboration ▁that ▁continued ▁during ▁Co an ' s ▁doctor al ▁work ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Arizona . ▁Co an ▁helped ▁Gott man ▁ref ine ▁and ▁expand ▁the ▁Specific ▁A ffect