Alex Woolgar

Biography

We study the neural basis for flexible cognitive control, underpinning the incredible human capacity for diverse and flexible behaviour. Our research uses multivariate analysis of fMRI, E/MEG, and combined TMS-fMRI data. We are interested in how information from the world is represented, exchanged, and transformed between brain regions and how (and whether!) the activation patterns we decode give rise to thought and behaviour. We focus on frontoparietal ?multiple-demand? (MD) brain regions which are involved in a wide range of tasks. These regions appear to prioritise coding of task-relevant information, providing a neural basis for selective attention. Projects examine the flexibility of the system, the relationship with visual cortices, and the links between MD coding and behaviour. Separately, we are developing methods to study language abilities in children with Autism who do not speak. We aim to use neuroimaging to examine cognition in this understudied population.