ResearchWe have a few ongoing research projects which cover basic and applied topics. The basic research tries to elucidate sensory processing (mainly visual processing) and the interactions between the heart and the brain. The applied research currently looks at how data patterns in individual differences for example eye movements, or other physiological measures, could be objectively informative of pathological state.
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Fundamental research
Integrating information across receptive fields for perception
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The inversion of gravity as a window into dynamic prediction
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Automatic processing of symmetric scenes
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Applications
Signature eye movements & atypical brain function
This project quantifies the feasibility of eye tracking as a diagnostic tool for neuropsychiatric disorders including Schizotypy and ASD, but has potential to characterise features of eye movements for a broader set of conditions. It is carried out with colleagues from Bournemouth University and the Institute de Neuroscience de la Timone in Marseille. A research grant is currently in preparation for this topic.
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Reconciling the fast & slow timescales in heart-brain interactionAt a fast timescale, it is known that cognitive function is modulated by heart beat phase (i.e. slight performance changes in going from P-Q-R-S-T-U). At slower timescales, baseline heart rate variability is a predictor of a range of health factors such as anxiety and depression but also fitness and digestion. This project aims to understand the heart-brain relationship across these timescales. A research grant is in preparation for this topic.
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