Research

Research interests

Generally speaking, I am interested in the cognitive neuroscience of attention, perception and action. My specific interests include visual attention, visuomotor control (i.e., reaching and grasping), visual awareness, and how these different mechanisms interact to allow us to carry out complex behaviours. A good deal of my previous research in this area has focused on neuropsychological investigations of patients with damage to different regions of the posterior parietal cortex (i.e., neglect, optic ataxia). A related theme of this research project applies knowledge obtained through laboratory studies examining the effects of prism adaptation on attention and motor behaviours in healthy individuals to assist in rehabilitating spatial and attentional deficits in patients with parietal lobe damage.

Another line of research examines the functional properties of non-conscious visual pathways projecting to the dorsal and ventral streams through examining the residual attentional, affective, and visuomotor capabilities of patients with visual field loss following damage to primary visual cortex (i.e., blindsight). The goal of this research program is to better understand the role that secondary (non-conscious) visual pathways play in attention and action. This patient work is reinforced by studies in healthy individuals examining the degree to which our actions can escape conscious intention (i.e. the "automatic pilot"), or can operate in the absence of visual awareness.

Finally, in a another line of research I am investigating the role of the cerebellum in cognitive functions such as visual attention through studying patients with cerebellar damage.

Research in our lab is currently funded through an NSERC Discovery Grant and the MacEwan University Research Office.

For more information on my current work see my publications page.

Lab resources

Our lab is located in room 6-337 in the Department of Psychology at MacEwan University in building 6 of the City Centre Campus. Our address is: 10700-104 Avenue, Edmonton, Alberta, T5J 4S2 (Map).

The lab is currently home to several pieces of equipment that help me, and my students, carry out studies examining the cognitive neuroscience of attention, perception, and visuomotor control.

To examine reaching and grasping movements we utilize an Optotrak 3020 kinematic recording system (Northern Digital; pictured below). This system uses infrared emitting diodes (IREDs) to track limb movements with high spatial and temporal resolution.

We can also examine the role of visual feedback during reaching and grasping through the use of PLATO goggles (Translucent Technologies) which allow us to eliminate visual feedback by occluding vision just prior to, or during a movement.

We have two large (32") touch screens that allow us to record the speed and accuracy of pointing movements. These screens are often used in our prism adaptation and target perturbation studies to measure pointing errors, as well as the after-effects of prisms. We also have two (24") standing vertical touch screens used for tasks that require an alternate setup.

In addition to testing healthy individuals we also test neurological patients. The patients we test have typically have suffered vision loss following damage to the visual cortex, or have difficulty attending to people or objects on their left side following damage to the right side of their brain (i.e., spatial neglect). In addition to studying patients with cortical lesions, we are also currently studying the effects of cerebellar lesions on attention and motor control. In all cases our goal in studying patients with brain damage is to better understand how these brain regions control vision, attention, and action.

Finally, we are also interested in different methods that can be used to rehabilitate neurological patients. For example, a good deal of our work examines the use of prism adaptation (Bernell Products) to alter attention and motor behaviours in healthy individuals, and reduce symptoms of spatial neglect in right brain damaged patients.