Current Projects

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	Exploring how sight and sound interact We know from everyday experience that what we see affects what we hear and vice versa. Although this sensory interaction occurs most strongly for speech, we investigate whether they occur for simple and speech-like tones, and whether visual information can facilitate speech perception in noisy conditions. We use a combination of psychophysics, Fourier analysis, functional imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy in this project. Partly funded by the Wellcome Trust. Collaborators Mark Laing, Newcastle University (PhD student) Adrian Rees, Newcastle University

	Haptic vision We are interested in how the sense of touch (haptics) can interact with vision, particularly to help those with low vision (e.g., macular degeneration). To address this, we are using emerging technologies to simulate tactile "textures" (e.g., the roughness of a tree bark) on touch screens. These technologies are also potential low-cost solutions for emerging cultures so we will conduct parallel studies in the UK and in Egypt. Funded by the British Council. Collaborators Patrick Degenaar, Newcastle University Walid Al-atabany, Helwan University Greg Topel, TANVAS

	Cognitve modulation of pain Pain is a salient percept that can draw our attention away from our current task so we can deal with potential bodily harm. We are interested in how our thoughts and actions can help us deal with pain, for example by distracting us from a painful stimulus. To address this, we have been using cognitively-demanding visual tasks to measure how cognition reduces the pain intensity people feel in response to a painful stimulus. We are also exploring the brain mechanisms underlying pain perception, particularly in individuals who suffer from persistent chronic pain. Collaborators Vera Araujo-Soares, Newcastle University Justin Durham, Newcastle University James Allison, Newcastle University
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	Neural changes with perceptual expertise Neural changes can occur as people acquire expertise with a category of objects (e.g., cars). These changes can include how strongly different brain areas respond to the objects of expertise or how different brain areas interact with each other in response to those objects. To do so, we train people to acquire expertise with novel objects and scan their brain before and after training. We also test individual with known brain lesions to better understand these neural changes. Funded by the ESRC. Collaborators Bruno Rossion, University of Lorraine
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	Shape, motion and colour information for face, body and object recognition People can use different visual features alone or in combination to recognise people and objects in a complex and cluttered environment. We use psychophysics, eye tracking, and computational modelling to test how people attend to and use these features for perceiving, recognising, and interacting with people and objects. We also test recognition across different animal species, including bees, pigeons and humans. Collaborators Katja Mayer Alinda Friedman, University of Alberta Marcia Spetch, University of Alberta Jim Tanaka, University of Victoria Ian Thornton, University of Malta

	Neural correlates of face, body and object recognition We are interested in the networks for recognising faces, bodies and objects using brain imaging. Functional networks can be identified using analyses such as psychophysiological interactions or dynamic causal modelling. Structural networks can be identified using diffusion tensor imaging which allows us to reconstruct white-matter tracts between brain regions using tractography techniques. Collaborators Katja Mayer Anthony Atkinson, Durham University Johannes Schultz, University of Bonn

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	`difficult, difficult, lemon difficult` Simon Foster, In the Loop
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Last updated ~ October 2019