Experimental Psychology Seminar - Ed Silson, University of Edinburgh

Dr Ed Silson, University of Edinburgh joins us to discuss retinotopic coding throughout non-visual regions of the brain and its roles in wider cognitive functioning.

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Experimental Psychology Seminar - Ed Silson, University of Edinburgh

20 Feb 2024, 13:00 – 15:00

Maths 500, (5th floor – please use 2nd lift)
25 Gordon Street
London
wc1h 0ay
United Kingdom

Location :
Maths 500, 25 Gordon Street (5th floor – please use 2nd lift)

Zoom :
https://ucl.zoom.us/j/97349120781?pwd=ZjIxajh3YnBnOUdnam81cmFzV2lBUT09

Meeting ID: 973 4912 0781

Passcode: 274188

Abstract :
For more than 100 years we have known that the visual field is mapped onto the surface of visual cortex, imposing an inherently spatial reference frame on visual information processing. Recent studies highlight retinotopic coding not only throughout visual cortex, but also brain areas not typically considered visual. Such widespread access to retinotopic coding raises important questions about its role in wider cognitive functioning. In this talk, I will present work from my group and our collaborators that highlights the extent of retinotopic coding in the brain and how the brain might use this information to the betterment of our cognition.

Ed Silson, PhD

Lecturer

University of Edinburgh

Dr Ed Silson completed his PhD at the University of York (2010-2013) with Prof. Tony Morland, where he probed the causal roles of different retinotopic maps using TMS. He then moved to the National Institutes of Health (USA) to work with Dr. Chris Baker (2014-2019). Here, Dr. Silson explored the retinotopic organisation of higher-level visual areas and how visual perception and mental imagery interact using both conventional and ultra-high field fMRI. Dr. Silson moved to the of University of Edinburgh in 2019 and continues to research the mechanisms by which retinotopy and functional specialisation interact and impinge on one another.