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- Position:Senior Lecturer in Psychology
- Department:HAS - Health and Social Sciences
- Telephone:+441173283121
- Email:James.Macdonald@uwe.ac.uk
About me
I am a Senior Lecturer in Psychology with expertise in cognitive neuroscience and I am based in the School of Social Sciences.
Teaching:
I am one of the Programme Leaders for our undergraduate psychology programmes.
I am the co-module leader for the second-year undergraduate psychology module, Mind, Brain, and Development with Scott Jones.
Research:
My research aims to relate human electroencephalogram (EEG) activity to both low-level sensory and high-level cognitive functions. In particular, I am interested in the ability of the human brain to manage the influx of external sensory information, and generate internal experiences in the absence of corresponding external sensory input, for example, memories, thoughts, and mental imagery. I am interested in the neural mechanisms underlying these two systems, and how they complement and conflict with one another: how cognition shapes or inhibits perception, and vice versa. I am also interested in the ways in which high-level goals and plans can influence perception and cognition, and how these systems are managed appropriately in order to achieve such goals. Finally, I seek to uncover the influence of brain state and neural architecture on these systems. For example, do different patterns of neural activity within individuals, or differences in neural function between individuals, lead to differences in perceptual and cognitive function, or the effectiveness or manner in which these systems are managed?
Area of expertise
Cognitive neuroscience; Visual attention; EEG
Publications
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