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Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience

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Naturalistic Experience Group

The Naturalistic Experience Group is within the Space and Memory Group.

Dr Avital Hahamy

Principal Investigator 

a.hahamy@ucl.ac.uk

Dr Avital Hahamy with shoulder length curly dark brown hair, wearing glasses, smiling at the camera

 

 

 

 

 

What we do:

Neuroscience has traditionally studied cognitive processes in isolation, revealing important insights into specialized neural mechanisms, such as vision, language and memory. Yet in real life, the brain doesn’t process just one type of information at a time. Instead, it combines multiple sources of information to create a clear and flexible understanding of the world. We use neuroimaging techniques (fMRI/MEG) and computational tools to study naturalistic experiences, where sensorimotor and cognitive demands unfold dynamically and in parallel. We aim to reveal how the brain does not merely solve separate problems, but integrates them into holistic and adaptive knowledge that enables complex real-world behaviour.

Group Members

Students

TKa Ying Ivy Chan (MSc Student)

Ka Ying Ivy Chan wearing glasses with dark straight hair smiling at the camera

ucjuk55@ucl.ac.uk

Originally from New Zealand and was raised in Hong Kong, Ivy completed her Bachelor's degrees in Psychology (First Class Honours) and Business at The University of Auckland. Following that, She spent time working in the tech industry in Hong Kong as a UX Researcher, Designer, and Product Manager before venturing to the UK for Master's studies. Currently, Ivy is at UCL studying Cognitive and Decision Science, learning about Computational Modelling of Cognition, Computational Linguistics, and Psychology. Her research thesis focuses on Perception and Memory formation through naturalistic stimuli.

Leyao Wang (MRes Student)

Leyao Wang with long wavy hair wearing headphones round her neck smiling at the camera

leyao.wang.24@ucl.ac.uk

I am a MRes student in Cognitive Neuroscience. I am interested in using naturalistic stimuli to understand why we remember what we remember. Outside academics, I love tennis and yoga!

Tom Rhodes (MSc Student)

Tom Rhodes wearing shades outside, slightly smiling into the camera

thomas.rhodes.14@ucl.ac.uk

I am currently working toward an MSc Cognitive and Decision Sciences at UCL. Having completed an undergrad in Linguistics, my interests lie in the biolinguistics program (particularly syntax and semantics), computational cognitive neuroscience, and philosophy of mind, language and science. I am currently working on my thesis project, where we are trying to understand how the brain constructs the meaning of the present moment by forming connections to relevant past experience at event boundaries.

Richard Williamson (MRes Student)

Richard Williamson with a low haircut, mustache and beard looking neutrally into the camera

richard.williamson.24@ucl.ac.uk

I am currently a Cognitive Neuroscience MRes student at the UCL ICN. I am originally from the United States, and my undergraduate degree was in Neuroscience. Prior to coming to UCL, I completed a master's degree in film and television at the National Film and Television School. My current interests are centred around visual neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, and neuroaesthetics. My MRes thesis is focused on using fMRI data to determine if between participant differences in neural reactivation during movie watching can be explained by personality traits or cognitive ability.

Iman Mouloudi (MSc Student)

Iman Mouloudi wearing glasses with shoulder length dark brown hair smiling at the camera

iman.mouloudi.23@ucl.ac.uk

Iman is a masters' student on the Cognitive and Decision Sciences (CoDEs) program at UCL. She graduated with a first-class degree in Neuroscience at the University of Edinburgh in 2020 and worked in finance and startups before returning to academia to pursue a passion for computational neuroscience.

 

Go to Space & Memory:

 

A girl facing the street with cars on her left and people walking on the pavement on her right. There is an image of a transparent brain with her internal processing of this enviornment detailed inside of the brain.