Our research combines functional neuroimaging (fMRI, PET, EEG), with neuropsychological studies in brain-injured patients and healthy volunteers and revolves around three inter-related themes that build on our long-term interests in attention, memory and control.

First, as part of the Cambridge Impaired Consciousness Group we apply our experience in cognitive neuropsychology and functional neuroimaging to one of the most challenging and ethically troublesome problems in clinical medicine: detecting residual cognitive function (and even conscious awareness), in patients who are behaviourally non-responsive and often presumed to be in a vegetative state.

Second, with colleagues at the Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair and in the Department of Experimental Psychology, Cambridge we explore the neurochemical and neuroanatomical basis of cognitive deficits in Parkinson’s disease by combining neuropsychological, neuroimaging and genotyping approaches.

Finally, with colleagues at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit we explore human frontal-lobe function in the context of their strong reciprocal connections with posterior cortical and sub-cortical regions.

In August, 2009 we launched CAMBRIDGE BRAIN SCIENCES, a free web-based platform for members of the public and the wider scientific community to assess their cognitive function using rigorously tested and scientifically proven tests of memory, attention, reasoning and planning.