School of Psychological Science Seminar Series

Title: The Remembering and Forgetting of Complex Episodic Events

Abstract: Episodic events are thought to be represented in a coherent manner, allowing for the holistic retrieval of all event elements. The forgetting of events is also thought to be holistic – when we forget an event, we forget it in its entirety. I will present behavioural, computational modelling, and fMRI research that provides evidence that events are both retrieved and forgotten holistically, in both younger and older adults and in developmental populations. I will also present data suggesting this holistic retrieval is specific to events, and may not always apply to the forgetting of other representations – such as the forgetting of object representations. I will then discuss how complex events are retrieved over time and whether changes occur as a function of systems consolidation. I will use this body of research to provide a theoretical framework that makes predictions about the underlying neural mechanisms that support retrieval and forgetting across a hierarchy of representations: from low-level object representations, to event representations, to higher-order episodic narratives.

Location: G.10 Lecture Theatre, Fry Building (School of Mathematics), Woodland Road, BS8 1UG

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: Screen Time: Untangling Myths, Evidence and Public Perceptions

Abstract: Public debate about screen time and the impact that it can have on us is often polarised, fuelled by scary headlines and conflicting scientific claims. In this talk, we will explore what the evidence actually tells us about the effects that digital technologies – such as video games, smartphones, and social media – have on mental wellbeing. Drawing on recent research and experiences communicating science in the media, I will highlight the challenges of separating (simple) myth from (messy, complex) data, and consider how psychologists and neuroscientists can be better supported to engage with the public to foster nuanced, evidence-based discussions about screen use.

Location:  2D3, Priory Road Complex, School of Psychological Science, 12a Priory Road

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: Environmental microplastic exposure as an exacerbating factor in neurodegenerative disease 

Abstract: How the rapidly changing global environment impacts human health conditions - particularly age-related neurological disorders, which represent a growing public health challenge – is of huge social and scientific importance. Micro- and nano-plastics, plastic particles on the nm–mm scale which are now ubiquitous in the environment, bioaccumulate in the brain, and have cytotoxic effects in vitro mirroring causative mechanisms in neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease (PD): mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and inflammation. This suggests that lifetime microplastic exposure could cause or exacerbate these disorders. However, this field is in its infancy, and we have little understanding of the long-term effect of MNP exposure on the brain. 

Vulnerable populations are likely to be first and most severely affected by changing environmental conditions. I hypothesised that the PINK1/PRKN-dependent mitophagy pathway buffers against the mitochondrial damage caused by microplastic exposure, via its role in mitochondrial quality control. Therefore, I predict that mutations affecting this pathway – established risk factors for PD – will confer vulnerability to microplastic exposure. Here, I present unpublished data showing that lifetime exposure to a microplastic dosage tolerated by controls accelerates progression of PD-like phenotypes in a Drosophila PRKN/park loss-of-function model. I conclude that ever-increasing levels of microplastic pollution are likely to become a significant factor affecting incidence and outcomes of age-related disease in genetically predisposed populations. 

Location: C42 – Biomedical Sciences Building 

Time: 13:00-14:00

 

 

 

Title: TBC

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Location: Ada Lovelace SM2

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: TBC

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Location: C42, Biomedical Sciences Building

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: How to Make Trump More/Less Likable: Manipulating Preferences, Choices, and Decision-Making with Visuo-Motor Inhibition  

Abstract: Visual cognition phenomena are typically revealed via the measurement of reaction time, accuracy rates, and thresholds for detection. However, the mechanisms that generate such phenomena may also influence choices and preferences. A number of experiments will be described showing how preference for items is influenced by the motor actions made immediately before a preference decision. Specifically, objects are preferred less if, in order to indicate a choice, the repetition of an action is required. A large range of preferences and choices can be influenced including those for artwork, faces, and even political candidates. Memory and simple perceptual decisions can also be influenced. Further experiments rule out the possibility that the phenomenon is driven by attentional, as opposed to motor, processes. Overall, these experiments show that everyday human decision-making can be nudged by requiring a person to make a simple movement before the decision is indicated. 

Location: 2D1, Priory Road Complex, School of Psychological Science, 12a Priory Road

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: TBC

Abstract: TBC

Location: C42, Biomedical Sciences Building

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: The (Neuro-)Anatomy of Friendship 

Abstract: Friendships are a primate speciality, and have evolved to buffer us against the stresses of living in large social groups. They have a bigger effect on our psychological health and wellbeing, as well as our physical health and wellbeing, than anything else. Friendships are, however, extremely expensive to create and to maintain, both in terms of their time cost and in terms of their underpinning neurobiology. The basis of this lies in the dual process mechanism that allows primates to manage their relationships. One arm of this forms the Social Brain Hypothesis that sets a cognitive limit on the number of relationships we can have; the other is formed by the endorphin system and the way this is triggered by physical touch acting through the afferent C-tactile neural system. In this lecture, I’ll explore the behavioural, cognitive and neurobiological bases of friendships in comparative perspective, and show how we use these as a basis for forming communities. 

Location:  Priory Road Lecture Theatre, 12a Priory Road, D Block Priory Road Complex

Time: 16:00 - 18:30 (drinks reception included)

Title: Beyond the single template: What working memory reveals about visual search 

Abstract: Visual search for known objects is guided by attentional templates, i.e., target representations that are held in visual working memory. In this talk, I will present a series of experiments from our lab investigating the capacity of such attentional templates, that is, how many templates can be activated in parallel, and how this relates to visual working memory capacity. In our experiments, we found that search for multiple colours was less efficient than search for a single colour. Yet, these costs, particularly at the neuronal level, were surprisingly small and even with two differently coloured targets, search proceeded rapidly and in parallel. These findings challenge single-template accounts and instead support the idea of mutual inhibitory interactions between simultaneously activated templates. I will provide evidence for this hypothesis by showing that template activation prior to search - as opposed to attentional guidance during search - was virtually identical whether participants prepared for one, two, or even three target colours. Finally, I will share ongoing work suggesting that individual differences in visual working memory capacity predict search performance, highlighting a close link between visual working memory and attentional template capacity.

Location: LG.02, Fry Building

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: Is it Time to Sleep? Examining the Drivers and Consequences of Variability in Sleep Timing

Abstract: Day-to-day variability in sleep timing is emerging as an important sleep feature that may be a risk factor for, and/or symptomatic features of, a number of common chronic physical and psychological health conditions. However, the drivers of variability in sleep timing remain poorly understood, and may include circadian rhythm changes, changes in homeostatic sleep regulation, social schedules and circumstance and behavioural and cognitive factors. In this talk I will explore how we can best conceptualise and measure sleep timing variability and present some early evidence regarding the relationship between sleep timing variability and both sleep microarchitecture and circadian entrainment, as well as with mental health indicators. 

Location: G.10 LT, Fry Building

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: TBC

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Location: C42, Biomedical Sciences Building

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: Exploring the rise in mental health problems among young people

Abstract: Over the past four decades, rates of emotional problems in adolescents have increased in many countries, and outcomes for those with mental health problems have worsened. In this talk, I will address what we know so far about the rise in youth mental health problems, including evidence from population-based studies, cross-country comparisons, and consideration of possible explanatory factors.

Location: G.10 LT, Fry Building

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: Visual statistics from the laboratory to the real world

Abstract: We inhabit a world rich in visual information and complexity which presents a considerable challenge to the visual and cognitive system. One approach to understanding both the quantity of visual information and how the brain may cope with this is to consider the statistical regularities which are present in the visual environment. Natural scene statistics are quantities which can be computed from images, informed by the known tuning of the visual system. These quantities have been shown to predict psychophysical and behavioural responses to scenes, including perception, action and cognitive evaluations. In this talk I will present a summary of my research in this area, which has used colour as the primary testing ground. I will present work investigating the phenomenon of ensemble perception (the ability to extract a statistical summary of a set of items without encoding individual objects), the statistics of the “visual diet” and how it affects perception and cognition across environments and cultures, and in-progress projects exploring how image statistics may be implicated in sensory sensitivity, visual aesthetics, and the perception of the social conditions in our local neighbourhoods. I will discuss how these studies contribute to our understanding of visual processing, and explore the observation that while claims of the brain’s statistical sensitivity can be supported by studies in the laboratory, they may be undermined by data from the real world. 

Location: LG.10, Fry Building

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

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Location: TBC

Time: 16:00 - 17:00

Title: From bowel to brain: the translational journey of an anti-constipation agent into mental health

Abstract: Conventional antidepressants benefit many patients, but their therapeutic onset is typically slow. Even when mood improves, residual symptoms such as poor concentration and low motivation are common. This highlights the need for agents that can act more rapidly and address cognitive symptoms directly. Preclinical evidence identifies the 5‑HT4 receptor as a promising novel target with potential pro‑cognitive and antidepressant effects. In this talk, we will present experimental medicine studies examining the impact of 5‑HT4R agonists in humans, alongside pharmacoepidemiological analyses from large‑scale clinical health records. Finally, we will discuss how these early findings can inform a translational pipeline to repurpose licensed physical‑health medications for novel applications in mental health.

Location: G.10 LT, Fry Building

Time: 13:00 - 14:00

Title: TBC

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Location: Ada Lovelace SM2

Time: 13:00 - 14:00