My Research.

How do changes in brain state shape perception, cognition and conscious experience?

My research investigates how neural and physiological states influence human perception, cognition and conscious experience. I combine EEG, polysomnography, quantitative modelling and qualitative approaches to examine how brain function relates to lived experience across healthy and clinical populations.

Altered perception and individual differences

My PhD research investigated individual differences in normal perceptual experiences, through the lens of Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS).

Although people living with VSS share similar perceptual experiences, their subjective experiences and the functional impacts of their condition vary substantially. I found evidence that a substantial proportion of the population experience symptoms of VSS without knowing - suggesting that VSS forms part of a spectrum of normal perceptual experiences.

My work used quantitative and qualitative approaches to investigate symptom variability, adaptation and lived experience.

Peer reviewed articles (3 published | 3 first author)

Preprints (2 published | 2 first author)

Preprints are original manuscripts which have not been peer-reviewed yet. They are all open access (free to read).

Sleep, cognition and conscious experience

As a postdoctoral researcher at RIKEN Center for Brain Science, I investigate the role of sleep in cognition.

Using polysomnography, EEG and behavioural approaches, I study the contribution of rapid eye-movement sleep to higher cognitive functions such as problem-solving and creativity.

  • If you live in Japan, we are currently recruiting participants for this research project! Contact me by email for more information

  • I am a member of the Cognitive Somnology RIKEN Hakubi Research Team. Find out more about our lab here