Dear Users

This afternoon (4.15 pm in YNiC open plan) there will be 3 internal project proposal presentations: 

1) Mladen Sormaz

"Using MVPA to reveal patterns of neural response to facial expression and identity in the human brain"

Models of face processing suggest that different face-selective regions are sensitive to either facial expression or identity (Haxby et al., 2000).  In a previous study, we have shown that that patterns of response to different facial expressions are related to the perceptual similarity of images (Sormaz et al., 2014).  We have also shown that patterns of response to different facial identities are related to the similarity of the images (Rice et al. 2014).  The aim of the current study is to directly compare the relative contributions of expression and identity information to the responses in different regions across the ventral visual pathway using a multiple regression method for analysing patterns of fMRI data. 

2) Mahiko Konishi

"Changing the mind: exploring how the brain shifts from external to internal focus"

In brief, the study will focus on fMRI scanning participants while they perform a computer task that we developed. The task consists of two conditions that are very similar to each other but differ critically in the way they control the on-task focus level of participants: the hard condition requires constant focus on the task to be performed successfully, while the easy condition can be conquered by focusing on the task only in rare, cued moments, leaving the participants with the option of daydreaming for the majority of time. These two conditions alternate continuously in the paradigm, and transitions from one condition to the other are cued. Critically, the analysis will focus on these cued transition moments to see how the brain re-sets, and thus shifts, from external to internal focus, and vice versa.

3) Florence Ruby

"Role of episodic and semantic processes in self-generated thought"

Everyone is welcome to attend and refreshments will be served afterwards.

Best wishes
Rebecca 
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Dr. Rebecca E. Millman
Science Liaison Officer
York Neuroimaging Centre
The Biocentre
York Science Park
Heslington
YO10 5DG

Tel: +44 (0) 1904 567614
Fax: +44 (0) 1904 435356