Brain and cognition across the lifespan

Research theme integrating research into neurodevelopment in childhood and adolescence with brain health in older adults
Brain connections in colourful illustration
The brain and cognition across the lifespan research theme builds upon the world-leading expertise at the Brain Research & Imaging Centre (BRIC) and integrates research into neurodevelopment in childhood and adolescence with brain health in older adults. Importantly, this theme extends from healthy development and ageing to a focus on atypical development and neurodegenerative disorders such as dementia.
The research theme is home to an array of world-leading research, such as:
  • Digital cognition: studying social media's influence on brain function.
  • Neurolinguistics: mapping language development in the brain.
  • Eye and vision development: structural and functional markers of visual impairment.
  • Traumatic brain injury in senescence: determining age and traumatic brain injury impact on cognition.
  • Biological versus chronological aging: disentangling the neural aspects of aging.
 

Research projects

Heat map
MRI and Optical Modelling of the Human Eye to Elucidate Myopia Development
MRI Lab Leads
Neural mechanisms of observational learning through the lifespan

Other exciting projects include:

  • Transcranial focused ultrasound stimulation with the visual cortex.
  • Developing diagnostic tools for dementia based upon the brain's ability to navigate (using human foraging behaviour as an early marker of cognitive decline in typical and atypical ageing).
  • The neuropsychological markers of specific digital harms: highly visual social media and body image concerns (HVSM).
  • Regional and foreign accents: a dissociation in neural processing mechanisms?
  • Investigating comfort distance.
  • Developing a cognitive assessment battery for the assessment of preclinical Alzheimer's disease.
  • Neural substrates of vicarious embarrassment.