Research

Our existence to a great degree is dependent upon how efficiently we perceive and process information around us. Our sensory organs act as an interface that relays information from our surroundings to the central processing unit; the Brain. However, at any given instant information relayed to the brain by our sensory organs is way beyond its processing bandwidth. So how does our brain circumvent this problem?

Attention is a cognitive mechanism that helps brain focus its processing resources to information relevant to current behavioural requirements. It can be considered as a filter allowing only behaviourally relevant information to access processing resources. Main aim of the lab is to study how attention helps in processing visual information. We are especially interested in studying mechanisms involved in deployment of attention. Is it dependent upon specific property of incoming stimulus or can be generalized and independent of stimulus type?

To address our research question we employ neurophysiology (EEG) and eye-tracker methodologies to collect data from human participants while they are performing behavioural psychophysical experiments. Long term goal of the lab is to identify neural correlates of attention, which could then be extended to a neurofeedback cognitive therapy to treat various attentional disorders.