PROJECTS

 

Meta-cognitive processes, learning and memory (Professor David Donaldson)

I am interested in the cognitive abilities that we take for granted on an everyday basis - memory and language in particular. Here at Stirling we use behavioural and brain measures of performance during memory and language tasks to try and understand how these cognitive abilities really work at a neural level - asking questions like what are the brain systems involved, how do the different abilities operate together to support complex behaviour, and how do they break down with age and disease. More broadly, I am interested in the practical and philosophical difficulties in trying to map between cognitive models of human behaviour and measures from brain imaging, including the tricky question of how we can possibly attempt to provide an account of conscious experience.

Investigating the contribution of the postsubiculum to learning the spatial layout of the environment (Dr. Paul Dudchenko)

How do we recognise our environments, and how do we find our way within unfamiliar environments? Intriguing evidence suggests that, in the mammalian brain, specialised neural systems tell us where we are and what direction we are facing. Studying the properties of these systems in simpler organisms may provide a better understanding of how they work in people, and potentially how they go wrong in conditions like Alzheimer’s disease.

Synaptic plasticity and how this underlies memory and behaviour (Professor Leslie Smith)

I am investigating the following: (i) on synaptic plasticity. We all know what we mean by memory, but what lies beneath this everyday experience? We all know that computer memory is different from animal memory, but what do they have in common? How does memory in the brain underlie learning and behaviour? How might we create adaptive systems that have some of the capabilities of animals, particularly where sensing is concerned? (ii) on e-Science for Neurophysiology: Neurophysiology is the study of the physiology of neurons: much of it is concerned with measurements, whether of electrical and ionic fluctuations, or of structure. CARMEN aims to enable the sharing of data concerning electrical and ionic fluctuations in living brains between scientists so that they can study using larger volumes of data than would be available from a single laboratory.

Neural microcircuits in the hippocampus (Dr. Bruce Graham)

I am investigating how neural microcircuits, particularly in the hippocampus, control the flow of information in the brain so that new memories can be stored by changing the strength of connections between neurons, without interferring with existing memories.

Models to assist in the health service (Dr. Judith Cowie)
I am interested in developing multi-criteria model to support memory in various health problems, such as the best way of administering chemotherapy drugs to a patient; development of a user-friendly hand held tool which predicts frequency, duration, and intensity of side effects of chemotherapy treatment; and the development of a model to aid clinicians involved in early dementia diagnosis.

• People
• Projects
• Participate
• Collaboration/Partners
• Research Unit
• Events