Mobile EEG: memory and attention in the wild.

What neural systems and processes support cognitive processes like attending and remembering? How do we use cognitive abilities like memory and attention in everyday life? And are the processes discovered in laboratory experiments representative of those found during real world uses of our cognitive faculties? To address these questions the current fully funded PhD project aims to develop the use mobile neuroimaging as a method for studying cognitive processes ‘in the wild’.

Recent technical advances have seen the rapid development of light-weight wearable devices that allow imaging to be used to examine cognition outside of the laboratory. Initial studies have demonstrated that cognitive abilities like memory and attention can be studied using these techniques. The current project builds on this work, with the overarching aim of examining cognitive brain signals during naturalistic behaviours – to help develop and constrain theoretical accounts of cognition.

The PhD project will address these questions by recording brain activity using EEG (the electroencephalography), employing mobile recording equipment, advanced data processing and statistical analyses approaches to investigate the neural processes supporting human cognition.

The PhD student will work with David Donaldson (Professor of Psychology) as part of the School of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of St Andrews. The project will providing the opportunity to work with cognitive neuroscience researchers in the PAC (the Perception, Action and Cognition Research Group), as well as a wide range of interdisciplinary researchers through IBANS (the Institute of Behavioural and Neural Sciences). This project would suit a student with experience and interest in cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, human cognition including attention and memory. 

Information can be found online about postgraduate study at St Andrews. Please apply to the School of Psychology and Neuroscience by 5pm on 1st June 2024, following instructions at “how to apply”.

Informal inquiries to the primary supervisor ([email protected]) are very strongly encouraged.