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Neuroscience at Royal Holloway

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Research FacilitiesThe neuroscience group at Royal Holloway benefits from a range of state-of-the-art research facilities and our members have considerable expertise in related techniques:

Facilities for molecular, cellular and slice work:

• Mass spectrometry• Proteomics and metabolomics facilities• Level-3 ACGM containment suites• Monoclonal antibody production unit• Facilities for cell culture • Automated DNA and peptide sequencers (both operated as technical

services)• High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) systems with a

wide range of detectors, • Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS), LC-electrospray

and MALDI TOF MS• Phosphorimager• Real time-quantitative PCR• Scanning spectrofluorimeter • Epifluorescence and confocal laser scanning microscopes • Scanning and transmission electron microscopes • Flow cytometer• Marine and freshwater aquaria• Insect culture rooms• Computing resources for molecular modelling and digital

image-processing. • X-ray fluorescence spectrometer• Multi-collector plasma source mass spectrometer• Electrophysiology suite

Human Neuroimaging and Brain Stimulation:

• 3 Tesla Siemens Trio Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Scanner (see page 3)

• A range of MRI-compatible equipment (response boxes, microphone, eye tracker)

• Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) units for brain stimulation experiments

• ‘Visor’ ANT Neuronavigation system to be used with TMS• AD Instruments Physiological Recordings Units (GSR, Heart Rate)• Electroencephalography suit (128 channels, stimulus presentation

and data analysis facilities)

About Neuroscience at Royal HollowayRoyal Holloway is a constituent college of the University of London. Members of the neuroscience group are based in the Department of Psychology and the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) - both have established world-class reputations for research. In the most recent Research Assessment Exercise (RAE), the Department of Psychology ranked joint fifth out of 76 UK departments, and the SBS ranked joint third out of 51 departments.

The neuroscience group at Royal Holloway consists of about 20 members of academic staff and members of their research groups. The range of research is wide and cross-disciplinary, encompassing

basic and clinical aspects, often with strong translational themes. The research profiles below show that the neuroscience work spans across a number of levels: molecular, cellular, systems, behavioural and cognitive neuroscience, through to theoretical and computational neuroscience.

The group attracts substantial funds from all UK research councils, third stream funding from business, a range of charities including the Wellcome Trust and a number of other sources. Since 2005, the group has attracted approximately £10 million in research funding.

Behaviour and Psychophysics:

• IR Eye Tracker (Eyelink 2 & 3)• Video Eye Tracker (CRS Ltd.)• Psychophysics Graphics Systems (VSG I, II, Visage)• Tobii Eye Tracker• SR Eyelink 1000 Remote Eye & Head Tracker• 6 Camera Vicon 3D motion tracking system• Large FoV immersive, fixed platform, city centre driving simulator• Portable platforms for measuring seated/standing CoP Virtual

Environment generation software)• Psycholinguistics computer laboratory, sound proof chamber, speech

recording equipment, and electropalatography studio• Cambridge Electronic Design 1401 A/D units

Contact Us

Please contact Dr Narender Ramnani if you would like further information or if you would like to explore the possibility of working with the group or using the facilities for your research.

T: +44 (0)1784 443519N.Ramnani@rhul.ac.uk

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Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become indispensible for the study of structure and activity of the human brain, yielding significant insights into its systems-level organisation.

The MRI unit at Royal Holloway houses a Siemens 3 Tesla Trio MRI scanner. It is research-dedicated, and located adjacent to the Wolfson Building where most of the Department of Psychology’s labs and offices are located.

This brain imaging facility was installed in 2003 and funded mainly by the Science Research Investment Fund (SRIF). The Department of Psychology was the first in the UK to have a research MRI scanner on its premises. It has been supported by substantial grant funding, has been core to the generation of several high-profile research papers and provides an excellent training environment for post-doctoral scientists and PhD students.

The MRI facility has recently undergone a major upgrade that provides it with considerably enhanced capabilities.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging at Royal Holloway

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Dr Pavlos AlifragisSchool of Biological SciencesPavlos.Alifragis@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 414988

Research

1) Signaling mechanisms in Alzheimer’s disease

The extracellular deposition of Aß is one of the histopathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The identification of Aß as the major component of senile plaques, led to the belief that deposition of Aß, was responsible for neuronal cell death, and is still considered as one of the primary causes of AD, even though Aß deposition alone does not fully account for the pathology of AD. Consequently, a role for intracellular Aß (iAß) as a supplementary trigger for defective neuronal physiology and neuronal cell loss (as an early event in AD) is becoming gradually clearer.

We have recently shown that Aß interacts with a ubiquitous synaptic vesicle (SV) protein called Synaptophysin (Syp) suggesting a unique and surprising role of Aß in the physiology of neurons. This interaction is important because we showed that upon internalisation, Aß is quickly transported to the presynaptic terminus inducing aberrant neurotransmitter release as a result of Aß disrupting the interaction between Syp and VAMP2 (a SNARE protein).

Currently we are investigating the effects of Aß in the phosphorylation pattern of target molecules and also look into how drugs used for treatment of early symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease reverses these effects.

2) The role of the adaptor protein Slap in homeostatic plasticity

Slap is a gene expressed in the cortex and the hippocampus. In collaboration with Prof V. Tarabykin (Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany) we have shown that upon EphA signalling, Slap is recruited along with NMDA receptors at synaptic sites in hippocampal neurons. Interestingly, its role is to induce activity-dependent degradation of NMDAR.

NMDA glutamate receptors have key roles in neuronal development and information storage in the mammalian brain. These receptors are glutamate-gated cation channels whose permeability to Ca2+ regulates significant aspects of synaptic plasticity. Furthermore, excess Ca2+ influx through NMDARs mediates cell death in certain neurodegenerative processes. Therefore, neurons must precisely control NMDAR levels.

3) The Planar Cell Polarity signalling pathway in the developing cortex.

The basic architecture of the cerebral cortex consists of neurons arranged in six layers. This architecture reflects the organisation of projections from pyramidal neurons to distant subcortical targets or to other cortical regions. We are interested in delineating the mechanisms by which the precise navigation of cortical axons develops.

Recent publications suggest that molecules of the PCP pathway are involved in axonal guidance in the mammalian brain. I am interested in the mechanisms by which the PCP pathway regulates the development of cortical axons and their target selection. tes encodes for a LIM domain protein homologous to prickle 1 and 2. In the brain, it is expressed in the upper part of layer five neurons in the developing motor, visual and auditory cortex. Our unpublished observations suggest that a subset of cortical axons is misrouted. We are currently analysing in detail the phenotype of the mutant animals.

We use a variety of Biochemical and histological approaches for our projects.

Biography

My career in research started at the University of Crete, Greece, where I completed my MSc Degree and PhD, studying the development of the CNS in Drosophila melanogaster,

Currently, the focus of my research towards more therapeutically relevant areas such as signalling mechanisms implicated in homeostatic regulation of NMDA receptors, and the synaptic mechanisms affected by amyloid-beta (Aß) in an effort to better elucidate the fundamental cellular mechanisms underlying the manifestation of Alzheimer’s.

Selected Publications

Sophia Semerdjieva, Hayder H Abdul-Razak, Sharifah S. Salim, Rafael J Yáñez-Muñoz, Philip E Chen, Victor Tarabykin and Pavlos Alifragis.

Recruitment of Slap upon EphA activation downregulates NMDA receptors Submitted

Figure: A model showing the mechanism by which Slap is downregulating the levels of NMDAR's. B-D, representative images showing that in neurons activation of NMDAR's can lead to its activity dependent degradation at sites where Slap is also

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Claire L. Russell, Sophia Semerdjieva, Ruth M. Empson, Brian M. Austen, Philip W. Beesley, Pavlos Alifragis.

Amyloid-ß acts as a regulator of neurotransmitter release disrupting theinteraction between Synaptophysin and VAMP2. PLoS one

Britanova Olga*, Alifragis Pavlos*, Junek Stephan, Kevin Jones, Peter Gruss and VictorTarabykin. Tangential migration of cortical projection neurons: a novel mode of migration that depends on Reelin (Dev Biol. 2006 Oct 1;298(1):299-311.)

Professor Philip BeesleySchool of Biological SciencesP.Beesley@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 443546

Research

Professor Phillip Beesley’s research focuses on the molecular and cellular mechanisms of synapse development and synaptic plasticity. Much of his work has focussed on investigating the function of two closely related cell adhesion molecules, the neuroplastins, discovered in his lab.

The neuroplastins, np65 and np55, are Ig superfamily adhesion molecules that comprise 3 and 2 Ig domains respectively, a single transmembrane domain and a short intracellular domain. Np65, but not np55 exhibits homophilic adhesion. The neuroplastins have been shown to play important roles in activity dependent synaptic plasticity. The level of np65 associated with the post synaptic apparatus and with the post synaptic density is increased in kainate seizured animals and in hippocampal neurones in response to long term potentiation (LTP). Antibodies specific for the neuroplastins and recombinant neuroplastin peptides block LTP by a signalling pathway that activates p38MAPkinase resulting in the down regulation of GluR1 receptors at the cell surface.

His current work is focussed on: 1. Development of a neuroplastin knockout mouse to investigate the functions of these molecules in more detail; 2. Characterisation of neuroplastin binding interactions and their functional significance.

Other key interests focus on establishing the mechanisms by which β amyloid peptide oligomers trigger early synaptic dysfunction leading to onset of Alzhiemer’s disease and the role of dystrophin and dystrophin related molecules on synaptic function.

Biography

Professor Phillip Beesley was appointed lecturer in Biochemistry at Royal Holloway University of London in 1973 and was promoted to Senior Lecturer in 1996. He was promoted to Reader in 2003 and full Professor in 2006. He has been Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto and at the Leibniz Insitute for Neurobiology in Magdeburg.

Professor Bessley’s work has been funded by the BBSRC, NERC and the Wellcome Trust. He has spent periods of sabbatical leave in the Pharmacology Department at Oxford University, Toronto University, the Lieinbiz Institute for Neurobiology Magdeburg, and Kings College London. He was appointed as Dean of Science at Royal Holloway from 2005–2011 and Vice Principal for Research from 2011–2012.

Selected Publications

Claire L. Russell, Sophia Semerdjiev, Ruth M. Empson, Brian M. Austen, Philip W. Beesley, Pavlos Alifragis (2012) Amyloid-β acts as a regulator of neurotransmitter release disrupting the interaction between Synaptophysin and VAMP2. PLoS ONE, in press

Jama AM, Gabriel J, Al-Nagar AJ, Martin S, Baig SZ, Soleymani H, Chowdhury Z, Beesley P, Török K. (2011) Lobe-specific functions of Ca2+·calmodulin in alphaCa2+·calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activation. J Biol Chem. 286:12308-16.

Esapa CT, Waite A, Locke M, Benson MA, Kraus M, McIlhinney RA, Sillitoe RV, Beesley PW, Blake DJ. (2007) SGCE missense mutations that cause myoclonus-dystonia syndrome impair epsilon-sarcoglycan trafficking to the plasma membrane: modulation by ubiquitination and torsinA. Hum Mol Genet. 16:327-42.

Empson R. M., Buckby L. E., Kraus M., Bates K. J., Crompton M. R., Gundelfinger E. D. and Beesley P. W. (2006) The cell adhesion molecule neuroplastin-65 inhibits hippocampal long-term potentiation via a mitogen-activated protein kinase p38-dependent reduction in surface expression of GluR1-containing glutamate receptors. J Neurochem ., 99, 850-860.

Langnaese K., Beesley P. W. and Gundelfinger E. D. (1997) Synaptic membrane glycoproteins gp65 and gp55 are new members of the immunoglobulin superfamily. J Biol Chem., 272, 821-827.

Smalla K. H., Matthies H., Langnase K., Shabir S., Bockers T. M., Wyneken U., Staak S., Krug M., Beesley P. W. and Gundelfinger E. D. (2000) The synaptic glycoprotein neuroplastin is involved in long-term potentiation at hippocampal CA1 synapses. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA., 97, 4327-4332.

Figure: Co-localisation of neuroplastin 65 (green) and the post synaptic density marker PSD95 (red) in the post synaptic structures of hippocampal neurones transfected with eGFP tagged np65.

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Dr Philip ChenSchool of Biological SciencesPhilip.Chen@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 443386

Research

The majority of ‘fast’ excitatory neurotransmission within the mammalian central nervous system (CNS) is mediated by the neurotransmitter glutamate. Glutamate acts on a number of ligand gated cation selective channels often referred to as 'ionotropic' receptors. One subtype of ionotropic glutamate receptor is the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) and NMDARs play a number of roles in normal (learning and memory) and abnormal CNS processes (stroke and neuronal cell death). The laboratory is currently studying the molecular pharmacology of a number of novel agonists at NMDARs using a combination of molecular and functional methods. The laboratory is also investigating the role played by glutamate receptors in motor neurone disease and is examining potential therapeutic strategies against motor neurone degeneration.

We use a variety of heterologous and native expression systems to study glutamate receptor function (Xenopus oocytes, mammalian cell lines, primary neuronal cultures). In our work, we use a variety of molecular techniques and electrophysiological recording methods (two-electrode voltage clamp, extracellular recording).

Biography

Dr Chen completed his PhD in 2000 at UCL in the Wellcome Laboratory for Molecular Pharmacology under the supervision of Prof Ralf Schoepfer. He then moved to the University of Edinburgh to work with Prof David Wyllie and during this period was appointed to a temporary lectureship in Neuroscience. In 2008, he moved to Royal Holloway as a Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences.

Selected Publications

Chen, P.E., Geballe, M.T., Stansfeld, P.J., Johnston, A.R., Yuan, H., Jacob, A.L., Snyder, J.P., Traynelis, S.F., Wyllie, D.J.A. Structural features of the glutamate binding site in recombinant NR1/NR2A N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors determined by site-directed mutagenesis and molecular modelling (2005) Molecular Pharmacology, 67 (5), pp. 1470-1484.

Chen, P.E., Wyllie, D.J.A. Pharmacological insights obtained from structure-function studies of ionotropic glutamate receptors (2006) British Journal of Pharmacology, 147 (8), pp. 839-853.

Frizelle, P.A., Chen, P.E., Wyllie, D.J.A. Equilibrium constants for (R)-[(S)-1-(4-bromo-phenyl)-ethylamino]-(2,3-dioxo-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoxalin-5-yl)-methyl-phosphonic acid (NVP-AAM077) acting at recombinant NR1/NR2A and NR1/NR2B N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors: Implications for studies of synaptic transmission (2006) Molecular Pharmacology, 70 (3), pp. 1022-1032.

Wrighton, D.C., Baker, E.J., Chen, P.E., Wyllie, D.J.A. Mg2+ and memantine block of rat recombinant NMDA receptors containing chimeric NR2A/2D subunits expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes (2008) Journal of Physiology, 586 (1), pp. 211-225.

Chen, P.E., Geballe, M.T., Katz, E., Erreger, K., Livesey, M.R., O'toole, K.K., Le, P., Lee, C.J., Snyder, J.P., Traynelis, S.F., Wyllie, D.J.A. Modulation of glycine potency in rat recombinant NMDA receptors containing chimeric NR2A/2D subunits expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes (2008) Journal of Physiology, 586 (1), pp. 227-245.

Chen, P.E., Errington, M.L., Kneussel, M., Chen, G., Annala, A.J., Rudhard, Y.H., Rast, G.F., Specht, C.G., Tigaret, C.M., Nassar, M.A., Morris, R.G.M., Bliss, T.V.P., Schoepfer, R. Behavioral deficits and subregion-specific suppression of LTP in mice expressing a population of mutant NMDA receptors throughout the hippocampus (2009) Learning and Memory, 16 (10), pp. 635-644.

Professor George DicksonSchool of Biological SciencesG.Dickson@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 443545

Research

George Dickson is Professor of Molecular Cell Biology at Royal Holloway – University of London (RHUL). He has spent most of his career studying neuromuscular disease and muscle cell biology, including the first cloning of an intact Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) gene, the discovery of the role of cell adhesion molecules in muscle stem cell fusion, the first identification of utrophin, and the first description of exon skipping in DMD. He is a platform leader in the EU Clinigene Network of Excellence, a member of the UK MDEX, a past President of the European Society of Gene & Cell Therapy and a member of the European Medicine Agency Committee for Advanced Therapies. Field of specialisation include, neuromuscular & infectious disease studies, muscular dystrophy and atrophy, and development of viral, non-viral and oligonucleotide gene therapies. Present research includes: (i) Muscle fibre and stem cell biology; (ii) gene therapy for DMD; (iii) Motor function behavioural analyses; (iv) Antisense oligonucleotide and myostatin inhibition therapies for DMD; (v) Direct genome correction using endonuclease-enhanced gene targeting.

Biography

Before joining Royal Holloway as Chair of Molecular Biology in 1995, Professor Dickson was a senior Lecturer at Guys Hospital Medical School ( Department of Experimental Pathology), a lecturer and Lister-Wolfson Fellow at the Institute of Neurology (Dept of Neurochemistry, UCL), and Royal Society Overseas Fellow at the University of Marseille. His PhD is from UCL and his BSc from Strathclyde University.

Selected Publications

McColl BW, McGregor AL, Wong A, Harris JD, Amalfitano A, Magnoni S, Baker AH, Dickson G, Horsburgh K. APOE epsilon3 gene transfer attenuates brain damage after experimental stroke. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2007 Mar;27(3):477-87.

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Trollet C, Anvar SY, Venema A, Hargreaves IP, Foster K, Vignaud A, Ferry A, Negroni E, Hourde C, Baraibar MA, ‘t Hoen PA, Davies JE, Rubinsztein DC, Heales SJ, Mouly V, van der Maarel SM, Butler-Browne G, Raz V, Dickson G. Molecular and phenotypic characterization of a mouse model of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy reveals severe muscular atrophy restricted to fast glycolytic fibres. Hum Mol Genet. 2010 Jun 1;19(11):2191-207.

Kang JK, Malerba A, Popplewell L, Foster K, Dickson G. Antisense-induced myostatin exon skipping leads to muscle hypertrophy in mice following octa-guanidine morpholino oligomer treatment. Mol Ther. 2011 Jan;19(1):159-64.

Malerba A, Sharp PS, Graham IR, Arechavala-Gomeza V, Foster K, Muntoni F, Wells DJ, Dickson G. Chronic systemic therapy with low-dose morpholino oligomers ameliorates the pathology and normalizes locomotor behavior in mdx mice. Mol Ther. 2011 Feb;19(2):345-54.

Koo T, Malerba A, Athanasopoulos T, Trollet C, Boldrin L, Ferry A, Popplewell L, Foster H, Foster K, Dickson G. Delivery of AAV2/9-Microdystrophin Genes Incorporating Helix 1 of the Coiled-Coil Motif in the C-Terminal Domain of Dystrophin Improves Muscle Pathology and Restores the Level of ⍺1-Syntrophin and ⍺-Dystrobrevin in Skeletal Muscles of mdx Mice. Hum Gene Ther. 2011 May 25.

Cirak S, Arechavala-Gomeza V, Guglieri M, Feng L, Torelli S, Anthony K, Abbs S, Garralda ME, Bourke J, Wells DJ, Dickson G, Wood MJ, Wilton SD, Straub V, Kole R, Shrewsbury SB, Sewry C, Morgan JE, Bushby K, Muntoni F. Exon skipping and dystrophin restoration in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy after systemic phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer treatment: an open-label, phase 2, dose-escalation study. Lancet. 2011 Aug 13;378(9791):595-605.

Dr Szonya DurantDepartment of PsychologySzonya.Durant@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 276522

Research

My research interests are in the area of visual perception. I am interested in how a population of neurons codes for the overall perception of visual spatial position, motion and time. This involves the question of the link between individual neural response and the final population response responsible for the percept, how visual information is coded in neuronal spike trains and in particular over the years I have investigated the role of local and global motion in optic flow in the context of motion-defined boundaries and the pattern of optic flow produced from forward motion in natural scenes. I have also been interested in the mechanisms involved and the role of adaptation in neurons, i.e. the dynamics of adaptation of single units as part of a population code and how the coding of the stimulus attributes of contrast and orientation depend upon spatial and temporal context, leading to the attempt to provide a functional explanation of adaptation in the visual cortex. A further aspect of my research considers the interaction

between separate visual aspects of the scene such as how separate visual modalities might be combined to form the complete percept, the implications of the relative time course of neural response for the final visual percept, the problem of local sign – i.e. how position can be signalled by a population of neurons, and the possible role of feedback connections in conscious awareness.

I investigate these topics using computational modelling, psychophysics, eye tracking and magnetic resonance imaging techniques.

Biography

My undergraduate degree was in Mathematics and my PhD in the Psychology Department at UCL with Prof. Alan Johnston was funded through the Centre for Mathematics and Physics in the Life Sciences and Experimental Psychology (CoMPLEX) by the MRC. After my PhD I went to the University of Sydney, Australia on a Royal Society International Fellowship working with Prof. Colin Clifford. I started at Royal Holloway as a post-doctoral researcher on an EPSRC grant with Prof. Johannes Zanker and went on to a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship before gaining my permanent position.

Selected Publications

Variation in the local motion statistics of real-life optic flow scenes Durant, S. & Zanker, J. M. 2012 In : Neural Computation. 24, 7, p. 1781-1805.Manipulating the content of dynamic natural scenes to characterize response in human MT/MST Durant, S., Wall, M. B. & Zanker, J. M. 2011 In : Journal of Vision. 11 The movement of motion-defined contours can bias perceived position

Durant, S. & Zanker, J. M. 2009 In : Biology Letters. 5, 2, p. 270-273.Combining direction and speed for the localisation of visual motion defined contours Durant, S. & Zanker, J. M. 2008 In : Vision Research. 48, 8, p. 1053-1060. Moving from spatially segregated to transparent motion: a modelling approach

Durant, S., Donoso-Barrera, A., Tan, S. & Johnston, A. 22-Mar-2006 In : Biology Letters. 2, 1, p. 101-105 Temporal dependence of local motion induced shifts in perceived position

Durant, S. & Johnston, A. Feb-2004 In : Vision Research. 44, 4, p. 357-366.

Dr Scott GloverDepartment of PsychologyScott.Glover@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 443719

Research

Dr Scott Glover’s main research focus is on examining the processes involved in motor control. In particular, he aims to understand how neural and cognitive processes impact actions. In one line of inquiry this involves comparing real and imagined movements; in another the aim is to understand how partners plan their strategy in joint movement tasks. These topics are examined using behavioural and movement recording techniques, as well as TMS. He also studies the neural underpinnings of action using fMRI.

Another research goal is to elucidate the beneficial effects of music on cognition. This is studied using spatio-cognitive tasks and music, along with questionnaires. The overarching aim is to disentangle the properties of music that lead to cognitive enhancement.

Biography

Dr Scott Glover received his BSc from the University of Lethbridge in 1996. He obtained a PhD in psychology from the University of Alberta in 2001. In 2001–2002 he was a visiting scholar in the lab of Prof. David Rosenbaum at Pennsylvania State University, and in 2002–2003 he was a visiting scholar in the lab of Dr. Matthew Rushworth at the University of Oxford. He came to Royal Holloway in 2003.

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Selected Publications

Glover, S., & Dixon, P. (submitted). Context effects on real and imagined actions: Evidence for a common representation hypothesis. Submitted to Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance.

Aheadi, A., & Glover, S. (submitted). Being predictable in joint action: Strategic planning in a cooperative passing and placing task. Submitted to Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance.

Glover, S., Wall, M. B., & Smith, A. T. (2012). Distinct cortical networks support the planning and online control of reaching and grasping in humans. European Journal of Neuroscience, 35, 905–915.

Aheadi, A., Dixon, P., & Glover, S. (2010). A limiting feature of the Mozart Effect: Listening improves spatial cognition in musicians but not nonmusicians. Psychology of Music, 38, 107–117.

Glover, S., Miall, R. C., & Rushworth, M. F. (2005). Parietal rTMS disrupts the initiation but not the execution of online adjustments in grasping. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 17, 124–136.

Glover, S. (2004). Separate visual representations in the planning and control of action. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 27, 3–26.

Dr Steve Hammett Department of PsychologyS.Hammett@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 443702

Research

The effect of creatine monohydrate on neurovascular coupling and cognitive performance. We (Hammett et al, 2010) have previously shown that acute administration of creatine monohydrate significantly reduces the fMRI Blood Oxygen Level Dependent (BOLD) response whilst simultaneously increasing memory performance by 29%. Current work is focussing upon how creatine changes cerebral metabolite levels and low level perceptual performance in an effort to better characterise its mode of action. Potential avenues for future research are directed toward creatine's potential therapeutic value in Alzheimer's Disease. Techniques involved in this project include fMRI, MRS and psychophysics.The effect of scene parameters on driving performanceWe (Hammett et al 2007; Pritchard & Hammett, 2012) have previously found that perceived speed is significantly increased at low luminance levels and that driving speed is significantly reduced at low luminance. Current research is focussed upon developing a biologically plausible model of perceived speed with the aim to better inform the design of driving simulators and driving safety.

The computation of perceived speed in the human visual systemThis is a long-term project aimed at developing a biologically plausible computational model of how visual object speed is computed and represented in the human visual system (see, e.g., Hammett et al, 2000, 2005, 2007). The project combines psychophysical, imaging and modelling techniques.

Biography

Upon completion of his PhD in visual psychophysics at Cardiff University, Steve Hammett took up post-doc positions at the University of Bristol and Cardiff University prior to taking up a Wellcome Trust European Prize Fellowship at the Universite Rene Descartes (Paris V). He took up his first lectureship at the University of Glasgow and moved to Royal Holloway University of London following a lectureship in the Department of Optometry at City University, London.

Selected Publications

Pritchard, S.J. & Hammett, S.T., 2012. The effect of luminance on simulated driving speed. Vision Research, 52, 54-60.

Hammett, S. T., Wall, M.B., Edwards, T. & Smith, A.T. 2010. Dietary supplementation of creatine monohydrate reduces the fMRI BOLD response. Neuroscience Letters, 479, 201-205.

Hammett, S.T. et al., 2007. Perceptual distortions of speed at low luminance: Evidence inconsistent with a Bayesian account of speed encoding. Vision Research, 47, 564-568.

Hammett, S.T. et al., 2005. A ratio model of perceived speed in the human visual system. Proceedings of The Royal Society, 272, 2351-6.

Hammett, S.T., Thompson, P.G. & Bedingham, S., 2000. The dynamics of velocity adaptation in human vision. Current Biology, 10(18), 1123-1126.

Snowden, R.J. & Hammett, S.T., 1992. Subtractive and Divisive Adaptation in the Human Visual System. Nature, 355(6357), 248-250.

Dr Jonas LarssonDepartment of PsychologyJonas.Larsson@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 414061

Research

Research in my lab is focused on the neuronal mechanisms of human visual perception, studied by a combination of physiological measurements (principally functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI) and behavioural measurements (psychophysics).

One of the long-term goals of my research is to understand the mechanisms underlying our ability to recognize and perceive objects regardless of viewing conditions, and how this relates to the way shapes are represented in cortical neuronal networks. The mechanisms underlying this ability are likely to involve neuronal processing in 'intermediate' visual areas between the early representations in the lateral geniculate nucleus and primary visual cortex, and the high-level representations in inferotemporal cortex (or its equivalent in the human brain).

Part of my research involves trying to identify and characterise these areas in the human visual cortex. Ultimately, by characterising the response properties of neuronal populations in different visual areas, it will be possible to understand the processing mechanisms carried out by different areas and populations in the context of visual perception and object recognition.

I am currently working on a three year Wellcome-funded project to study centre-surround mechanisms in human visual cortical areas, measured with fMRI and computational modelling of population receptive field properties.

I am also involved in a series of projects focused on understanding mechanisms of adaptation measured by fMRI and what such measurements can reveal about the underlying physiology of the cortex.

In collaboration with Steve Hammett and Andy Smith I am also working on a series of projects investigating mechanisms of visual motion processing in the human brain studied by psychophysics and fMRI.

The analysis of anatomical and functional MRI data requires specialised software and analysis tools. Development of such “computational neuroimaging” tools is an important component of my research, and most of this software is in the public domain. In particular I have developed a comprehensive set of tools for extraction and analysis of cortical surfaces from MRI image (SurfRelax).

Biography

I received my PhD in Neuroscience from the Karolinska Institute in 2001. My PhD project focused on neuroimaging of mid-level visual processes in the human brain. I then did a postdoc with Prof David Heeger from 2002-2006, first at Stanford University, then at the

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Center for Neural Science, New York University. My postdoctoral research investigated mechanisms underlying second-order visual processing, attention, and visual cortical organisation.

Selected Publications

Larsson J, Smith AT. (2012) fMRI repetition suppression: neuronal adaptation or stimulus expectation? Cerebral Cortex 22:567-576.

Larsson J, Heeger DJ, Landy MS. (2010) Orientation selectivity of motion-boundary responses in human visual cortex. Journal of Neurophysiology 104:2940-50.

Liu TS, Larsson J, Carrasco M (2007). Feature-based attention modulates orientation selective responses in human visual cortex. Neuron 55:313–323.

Montaser-Kouhsari L, Landy MS, Heeger DJ, Larsson J (2007) Orientation-selective adaptation to illusory contours in human visual cortex. J Neurosci. 27(9):2186-95.

Larsson J, Heeger DJ (2006) Two retinotopic visual areas in human lateral occipital cortex. J Neurosci. 26(51):13128-42.

Larsson J, Landy MS, Heeger DJ (2006). Orientation-selective adaptation to first- and second-order patterns in human visual cortex. J Neurophysiol. 95:862-881.

Dr Carolyn McGettiganDepartment of PsychologyCarolyn.McGettigan@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 443529

Research

My research concerns the cognitive neuroscience of human vocal communication. I have used a range of methods - behavioural testing, functional MRI, MEG, and TMS – to interrogate the systems engaged in the perception and production of speech, voices and emotional vocalizations. My work on speech perception has focused on the processes supporting the extraction of intelligible percepts from degraded stimuli such as cochlear implant simulations, and in particular identifying the cognitive and neural correlates of individual differences in speech comprehension and learning (McGettigan, Faulkner et al., 2012, Eisner, McGettigan et al., 2010). In this work, I have addressed some of the major theoretical issues in speech neuroscience, including the role of motor cortex in speech processing (Scott, McGettigan & Eisner, 2009; McGettigan, Agnew & Scott, 2010; McGettigan et al., 2011; Agnew, McGettigan & Scott, 2011), and the debate on hemispheric asymmetries in speech perception (McGettigan & Scott, 2012; McGettigan, Evans et al., 2012). Currently, I am exploring the voice as an important social signal, with recent work addressing the responses to talker gaze direction in face-to-face speech perception, the neural control of vocal disguise

in speech output, and the perception of emotional authenticity in laughter. In the latter functional MRI study, I found strongly differential neural responses during passive listening to genuine and posed laughter (Figure 1), where the posed samples generated significantly stronger activation in a medial prefrontal brain region implicated in mentalizing processes, i.e. the attribution of emotional and mental states to others. Further, listeners who scored more highly in a post-scan test of laughter classification (as ‘real’ vs. ‘posed’) were those who had shown stronger ‘mirror’ responses in premotor cortex during the passive phase. It is argued that ‘mirror’ systems – brain regions that show common activation during the observation and execution of actions – are key to our ability to understand others’ actions. My recent finding lends support to this hypothesis, and raises questions about how such responses may or may not extend to the understanding of linguistic signals. Looking forward, the overall aim of my research programme is to assert the voice as a central element of the social neuroscience literature, and to explore how the use and understanding of vocal and facial signals during communication varies across individuals, age groups and special populations.

Biography

I graduated from Clare College, Cambridge in 2003 with a BA(Hons) in Natural Sciences, specializing in Experimental Psychology. Following a research assistantship in a psycholinguistics laboratory at the University of Cambridge, I completed a PhD in Human Communication Science at University College London, using behavioural studies to investigate the perceptual learning of cochlear implant simulations and the cognitive correlates of individual differences in speech perception. From 2008-2012, I was a postdoctoral research associate in the Speech Communication Group at the UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, where I ran functional neuroimaging studies of speech and voice processing - this period included a visiting position at the Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, Germany in 2011. I moved to Royal Holloway in September 2012 to take up a Lectureship in Psychology.

Selected Publications

MCGETTIGAN, C., Scott, S.K. (2012) Cortical asymmetries in speech perception: what’s wrong, what’s right and what’s left? Trends in Cognitive Sciences 16, 269-276.

MCGETTIGAN, C., Faulkner, A., Altarelli, I., Obleser, J., Baverstock, H., Scott, S.K. (2012a). Speech comprehension aided by multiple modalities: behavioural and neural interactions. Neuropsychologia 50, 762-776.

MCGETTIGAN, C., Evans, S., Rosen, S., Agnew, Z.K., Shah, P., Scott, S.K. (2012b). An application of univariate and multivariate approaches in fMRI to quantifying the hemispheric lateralization of acoustic and linguistic processes. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 24, 636-652.

MCGETTIGAN, C., Warren, J.E., Eisner, F., Marshall, C.R., Shanmugalingam, P., Scott, S.K. (2011). Neural correlates of sublexical processing in phonological working memory. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 23, 961-977.

MCGETTIGAN, C., Agnew, Z.K., Scott, S.K. (2010) Are articulatory commands automatically and involuntarily activated during speech perception? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 107, E42-E42.

Scott, S.K., MCGETTIGAN, C., Eisner, F. (2009) A little more conversation, a little less action - candidate roles for motor cortex in speech perception. Nature Reviews Neuroscience 10, 295-302.

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Dr Jenny MurdochSchool of Biological SciencesJenny.Murdoch@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 276289

Research

Jenny Murdoch’s research interests are focused on the early development of the nervous system. In particular, she is interested in the formation and patterning of the neural tube, the embryonic precursor of the brain and spinal cord. Jenny uses the mouse as a model organism for the elucidation of the genetic, molecular and cellular mechanisms that contribute to nervous system development. She uses a forward genetic approach to identify the genes that are involved in neural development. She studies mouse mutants that exhibit defects in neural development, such as spina bifida. These mutants can arise spontaneously, or from chemical mutagenesis experiments.

Jenny studies the tissue and cellular defects in the mutant embryos, by collecting and examining embryos at early stages in embryogenesis. She examines embryos microscopically for morphological or structural defects, as well as searching for changes in protein localisation, or defects in cell proliferation or cell death. Jenny conducts genetic epistasis experiments, by intercrossing mutant lines. She also identifies the mutant gene using a positional cloning approach, by first generating a chromosomal localisation of the mutant gene by genetic mapping, and then by analysis of candidate genes within the critical interval. This involves molecular techniques such as PCR and sequencing.

Once the mutant gene has been identified, Jenny tries to ascertain the molecular function of the gene, for example by examining gene and protein expression using techniques such as in situ hybridisation and immnuofluoresence for spatial analysis, and qRT-PCR and Western blotting for quantitative comparisons.

Recent functional analysis of proteins has involved searching for interacting protein partners by yeast 2-hybrid, and confirmation of interactions by co-immunoprecipitation experiments. Functional analysis has involved cell culture approaches, such as luciferase reporter assays to determine effects on particular signalling pathways. Thus Jenny uses a variety of molecular techniques to examine embryonic development.

Biography

Jenny studied at St John’s College, Cambridge, for her undergraduate degree. She read Natural Sciences (1990–1993), specialising in Biochemistry in the final year, and graduated with a 2i. From there Jenny obtained a position as a Research Assistant, working with Dr Andy Copp at the Institute of Child Health, University College London from August 1993. After six months as an RA, Jenny registered for a PhD, and studied for this on a part-time basis while also working as an RA.

Jenny completed her PhD in March 1999, but continued in the same lab for a further three years as a postdoctoral research assistant. In April 2002 Jenny moved to the MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit at Harwell, where she was employed as a postdoctoral research fellow, but working largely independently. Jenny obtained an MRC Career Development Award to run her own research project and, after taking a nine-month break to have her second child, took up that award in March 2005.

In November 2009 Jenny moved to Royal Holloway, to take up a post as a Senior Lecturer in Neurobiology. She lives in Egham with her three children.

Selected Publications

Paudyal, A., Damrau, C., Patterson, V.L., Ermakov, A., Formstone, C., Lalanne, Z., Wells, S., Lu, X., Norris, D.P., Dean, C.H., Henderson, D.J., Murdoch, J.N. (2010) The novel mouse mutant, chuzhoi, has disruption of Ptk7 protein and exhibits defects in neural tube, heart and lung development and abnormal planar cell polarity in the ear. BMC Developmental Biology 10:87.

Murdoch, J.N. and Copp, A.J.(2010) The relationship between Sonic hedgehog signalling, cilia and neural tube defects. Birth Defects Research (Part A) 88:633-52.

Patterson, V.L., Damrau, C., Paudyal, A., Reeve, B., Grimes, D.T., Stewart, M.E., Williams, D.J., Siggers, P., Greenfield, A. and Murdoch, J.N. (2009) Mouse hitchhiker mutants have spina bifida, dorso-ventral patterning defects and polydactyly: Identification of Tulp3 as a novel negative regulator of the Sonic hedgehog pathway. Human Molecular Genetics 18:1719-1739.

Curtin, J.A., Quint, E., Tsipouri, V., Arkell, R.M., Cattanach, B., Copp, A.J., Henderson, D.J., Spurr, N., Stanier, P., Fisher, E.M., Nolan, P.M., Steel, K.P., Brown, S.D.M., Gray, I.C. and Murdoch, J.N. (2003) Mutation of Celsr1 disrupts planar polarity of inner ear hair cells and causes severe neural tube defects in the mouse. Current Biology 13:1-20.

Murdoch, J.N., Henderson,D.J., Doudney, K., Gaston-Massuet, C., Phillips, H.M., Paternotte, C., Arkell, R., Stanier, P. and Copp, A.J. (2003) Disruption of scribble (Scrb1) causes severe neural tube defects in the circletail mouse. Human Molecular Genetics 12:87-98.

Murdoch, J.N., Doudney, K., Paternotte, C., Copp, A.J. and Stanier, P. (2001) Severe neural tube defects in the loop-tail mouse result from mutation of Lpp1, a novel gene involved in floor plate specification. Human Molecular Genetics 10:2593-2601.

Murdoch, J.N., Rachel, R.A., Shah, S., Beerman, F., Stanier, P., Mason, C.A. and Copp, A.J. (2001) Circletail, a new mouse mutant with severe neural tube defects: chromosomal localization and interaction with the ßßß mutation. Genomics 78:55-63.

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Dr Nigel RaineSchool of Biological Sciencesnigel.raine@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 443539

Research

Nigel Raine is Reader in Animal Behaviour at Royal Holloway, University of London. His research focuses on how the cognitive abilities of animals are adapted to their environment. The fact that animals in a population can differ widely in their cognitive capacities despite apparently operating in the same environment has lead him to examine the costs and benefits of this behavioural variation. He uses bees as a model system because they solve complex cognitive tasks everyday when making foraging decisions about which flowers to visit and navigation decisions to work out the best routes to follow when flying between flower patches and back to their nest. Using bumblebees learning and memory can be studied under controlled conditions in the laboratory, before testing the adaptive significance of variation in these traits by assessing the behaviour of the same colonies in the field. Dr Raine also conducts research investigating the effects of field-realistic pesticide exposure on bee behaviour, and how this could affect their performance as essential pollinators of crops and wild flowers. These research questions use a number of innovative techniques including Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags and harmonic radar tracking to monitor the foraging behaviour of bees, and cutting edge micro-CT scanning to examine changes in brain structure. Dr Raine has ongoing collaborations with scientists from Imperial College, the Natural History Museum, Queen Mary, University of London, Rothamsted Research, UCL, University of Dundee, University of Edinburgh, University of Newcastle and University of St. Andrews and his work has been supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Scottish Government and the Wellcome Trust.

Biography

Nigel studied Biological Sciences at Magdalen College, Oxford (1994-1997) and completed his DPhil at the University of Oxford working with Professor Graham Stone (1997-2001). He worked as a postdoctoral researcher with Professor Francis Ratnieks at the University of Sheffield (2002-2003) and Professor Lars Chittka at Queen Mary, University of London (2004-2009). Nigel joined Royal Holloway as a Senior Lecturer in 2009, and became Reader in Animal Behaviour in 2012.

Selected Publications

Gill RJ, Ramos-Rodríguez O & NE Raine (2012) Combined pesticide exposure severely impacts individual- and colony-level traits in bees. Nature: doi:10.1038/nature11585.

Lihoreau M‡, Raine NE‡, Reynolds AM, Stelzer RJ, Lim KA, Smith AD, Osborne JL & L Chittka (2012) Radar tracking and motion-sensitive cameras on flowers reveal the development of pollinator multi-destination routes over large spatial scales. PLoS Biology 10: e1001392. doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001392.

Raine NE & L Chittka (2012) No trade-off between learning speed and associative flexibility in bumblebees: a reversal learning test with multiple colonies. PLoS One 7: e45096. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0045096.

Lihoreau M, Chittka L, Le Comber SC & NE Raine (2012) Bees do not use nearest-neighbour rules for optimization of multi-location routes. Biology Letters 8: 13-16.

Lihoreau M, Chittka L & NE Raine (2010) Travel optimization by foraging bumblebees through re-adjustments of traplines after discovery of new flower patches. American Naturalist 176: 744-757.

Raine NE & L Chittka (2008) The correlation of learning speed and natural foraging success in bumble-bees. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 275: 803-808.

‡ indicates that the first two authors contributed equally to this work.

Dr Narender RamnaniDepartment of Psychologyn.ramnani@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 434 455

Research

The work of the lab focuses on the neural processes that underlie the control of movement, learning and decision-making in the human brain. Our work tests ideas based on frameworks that integrate behaviour, neurobiology and theory. The methods used include Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and behavioural methods that systematically investigate learning and decision-making. Our current work is focused on the role of the cortico-cerebellar system in the acquisition of cognitive and motor skills, the anatomy and evolution of the human brain, and on circuitry that supports social cognition. A number of other projects on other themes have also been completed.

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Most of funding for this work comes from substantial project grants from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), and we have also been supported by the Royal Society, by studentships from the Royal Holloway-St Georges Strategic Alliance and from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC). It also benefits from UK and international interdisciplinary collaborations with colleagues at Emory University (Atlanta, USA), UCL and the University of Oxford. We also have an ongoing collaboration with the England and Wales Cricket Board to study cognitive and motor skills in sport. This work has been supported by several research staff and PhD students.

Biography

After completing a degree in Psychology from Birkbeck College, University of London, and a Masters degree in Neuroscience from the Institute of Psychiatry (London), Dr Ramnani completed a PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience at UCL. His postdoctoral training in neuroimaging took place first at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging (Institute of Neurology, UCL) where he worked with Prof. Dick Passingham. He then worked with Prof. Paul Matthews at the Centre for fMRI of the Brain (FMRIB, University of Oxford), and with Prof. Chris Miall at the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics (formerly University Laboratory of Physiology, Oxford) Dr Ramnani was appointed to a Lectureship in the Psychology Department at Royal Holloway in 2004, and has been Reader in Cognitive Neuroscience since 2005.

Selected Publications

Balsters JH, Whelan C, Roberston I and Ramnani N (2012), “Cerebellum and cognition: Evidence for the encoding of higher-order rules”, Cerebral Cortex (in press).

Balsters JH and Ramnani N (2011), “Cerebellar plasticity and the automation of first-order rules”, Journal of Neuroscience, 31(6):2305-12.

Jill X. O’Reilly, Christian F. Beckmann, Valentina Tomassini, Narender Ramnani and Heidi Johansen-Berg (2010). “Distinct and overlapping functional zones in the cerebellum defined by resting state functional connectivity”, Cerebral Cortex, 20:953-65.

Ramnani N (2006) “The Primate Cortico-Cerebellar System”, Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 7(7):511-22

Ramnani N and Owen AM (2004), “The Anterior Prefrontal Cortex: What can functional imaging tell us about function?” Nature Reviews: Neuroscience 5, 184-194

Ramnani N and Miall RC, (2004) “A system in the human brain for predicting the actions of others”, Nature Neuroscience, 2004, 7(1): 85-90.

Professor Kathy RastleDepartment of PsychologyKathy.Rastle@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 443716

Research

My research aims to uncover the nature of the representations and computations that underlie aspects of human cognition, within a Cognitive Neuroscience perspective that includes a combination of behavioural, computational, speech physiological, and neuroscientific (EEG/ERP and fMRI) methods. Within the broad area of human cognition, my primary interest lies in understanding fundamental aspects of the normal language system (e.g. reading, speech perception, speech production) and how they become impaired as the result of brain damage or abnormal development. One highlight of my research career has been the development of a leading computational theory of skilled reading that has helped us to uncover the reading network in the brain. My more recent research has been focused on describing the neuro-cognitive mechanisms that underpin our ability to learn new words and to extract generalisations from these learning episodes. I am particularly excited at present about the role that sleep-related consolidation processes may play in these abilities.

Biography

I trained in the Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, where I developed one of the leading computational theories of reading, which is now informing efforts to uncover the neural bases of reading and reading impairment. From there, I accepted a postdoctoral research position in the Centre for Speech, Language, and the Brain at the University of Cambridge, where I began work to understand how the structure of a language impacts upon very early recognition processes. I came to Royal Holloway in 2002 and become Professor of Cognitive Psychology in 2006.

Selected Publications

Dufau, S. et al. (2011). Smart phone, smart science: How the use of smartphones can revolutionize research in cognitive science. PlosOne, 9. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0024974

Lavric, A., Elchlepp, H., & Rastle, K. (2012). Tracking morphological decomposition using brain potentials. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance, 38, 811-816

Tamminen, J., Davis, MH, Merkx, M., & Rastle, K. (2012). The role of memory consolidation in the generalisation of new linguistic information. Cognition, 125, 107-112

Yuen, I., Davis, M.H., Brysbaert, M., & Rastle, K. (2010). Activation of articulatory information in speech perception. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 107, 592-597.

Gold, B. & Rastle, K. (2007). Neural correlates of morphological decomposition during visual word recognition. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 19, 1983-1993.

Figure: Evidence for learning-related plasticity in the human cerebellar cortex [2]

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Dr Catherine SebastianDepartment of PsychologyCatherine.Sebastian@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 276599

Research

I am interested in brain and behaviour development in human adolescence; in particular the development of emotion processing and regulation, and of social cognition. I have worked with typical adolescents, those with conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and conduct disorder, and those who have experienced early maltreatment.

I have conducted research on the following topics:

• Behavioural and neural responses to social rejection in typical adolescents and in those with autism spectrum conditions.

• Theory of Mind and empathy processing in typical adolescents and in those with conduct problems.

• Emotion processing and regulation in adolescents with conduct problems and adolescents who have experienced early maltreatment.

• Structural neural correlates of conduct problems and early maltreatment.

I have used a combination of the following research techniques:

• Self- , parent- and teacher-report on psychometric questionnaires.

• Behavioural and cognitive testing within and outside the MRI scanner.

• Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to investigate brain function during cognitive task performance.

• Voxel based morphometry (VBM) for structural MRI to investigate differences in brain structure between experimental groups (e.g. adolescents with conduct problems vs. typically developing controls).

• I am also learning to analyse Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data in order to explore the structural integrity of white matter tracts connecting different brain regions of interest.

Biography

I studied for a BA in Experimental Psychology and an MSc in Neuroscience at Balliol College, Oxford, followed by a PhD at UCL’s Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, which I received in 2009. I was co-supervised by Prof. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore and Prof. Essi Viding, and investigated behavioural and neural responses to social rejection in typically developing adolescents and in adolescents with autism spectrum conditions. I then completed a postdoc at UCL’s Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology Department with Prof. Essi Viding and Dr Eamon McCrory, investigating social and emotional processing in adolescents with conduct problems. I joined Royal Holloway as a Lecturer in 2012.

Selected Publications

De Brito, S.A., Viding, E., Sebastian, C.L., Kelly, P.A., Mechelli, A., Maris, H., McCrory, E.J. (in press). Temporal and orbitofrontal grey matter reduction in psychiatrically healthy maltreated children. The Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Viding, E.,* Sebastian, C.L.,* Dadds, M.R., Lockwood, P.L., Cecil, C.A.M., De Brito, S.A., McCrory, E.J.P. (in press). Amygdala response to pre-attentive masked fear is associated with callous-unemotional traits in children with conduct problems. The American Journal of Psychiatry. * Equal contribution.

Sebastian, C.L., McCrory, E.J.P., Cecil, C.A.M., Lockwood, P.L., De Brito, S.A., Fontaine, N.M.G., Viding, E. (in press). Neural responses to affective and cognitive Theory of Mind in children with conduct problems and varying levels of callous-unemotional traits. Archives of General Psychiatry.

Sebastian, C.L., Fontaine, N.M.G., Bird, G., Blakemore, S.-J., De Brito, S.A., McCrory, E.J.P., Viding, E. (2012). Neural processing associated with cognitive and affective Theory of Mind in adolescents and adults. Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 7, 53-63.

McCrory, E.J. *, De Brito, S.A. *, Sebastian, C.L., Mechelli, A., Bird, G., Kelly, P., Viding, E. (2011). Heightened neural reactivity to threat in child victims of family violence. Current Biology, 21(23), R947-R948. *Equal contribution.

Sebastian, C.L., Tan, G.C.Y., Roiser, J.P., Viding, E., Dumontheil, I., Blakemore, S.-J. (2011). Developmental influences on the neural bases of responses to social rejection: implications of social neuroscience for education. NeuroImage, 57(3), 686-694.

Sebastian, C., Blakemore, S.-J., Charman, T. (2009). Reactions to ostracism in adolescents with autism spectrum conditions. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 39(8), 1122-1130.

Professor Andy SmithDepartment of PsychologyA.T.Smith@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 443717

Research

The early part of Prof Smith’s career was devoted to visual psychophysics. His main contribution during that period concerned the mechanisms employed by the human brain for detecting motion within the retinal image. Two themes emerge from this work. The first concerns the speed of motion, which was largely neglected in early (1980s) computational models of motion detection that focussed on direction of motion. He conducted numerous studies culminating in a highly cited ratio model of the extraction of speed (Vision Research 1994). The second theme concerns second-order motion (motion defined in terms of temporal changes in contrast or texture). His work made key contributions to a now-large body of evidence for

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separate detection mechanisms for the two types of motion. In recent years, Smith has conducted mainly fMRI research. A central focus has remained detection of image motion. An early study (J Neurosci 1998) on second-order motion has been cited over 250 times. He provided the first direct evidence that human cortical areas MST contains neural sub-populations tuned to different optic flow components. His group recently discovered three visual areas which, unlike MST, respond to optic flow only if it is compatible with egomotion (Curr Biol 2008). An important stream of his fMRI work involves sub-cortical brain regions, including the pulvinar, an under-researched sub-cortical structure that appears to link many different cortical regions. This work produced the first evidence of a map of visual space in the human pulvinar (J Neurophysiol 2007). Smith has also contributed to fMRI methodology, developing a method for estimating receptive field sizes in human cortex (Cereb Cortex 2001) that has been taken up and refined by others, documenting statistical effects of low-frequency noise in fMRI data (NeuroImage 2007) and documenting confounding effects of response amplitude on MVPA (pattern classification) performance (Neuroimage 2011). He remains interested in optic flow and self motion. Current projects also include fMRI studies of visual-vestibular interactions and their role in monitoring and guiding self-motion. Since natural vestibular stimulation is not practicable in an MRI scanner, artificial (galvanic) activation of the vestibular system is employed.

Biography

Prof Smith has been a professor of psychology at Royal Holloway in 1994. Prior to that he spent 11 years at Cardiff University, as a lecturer and then senior lecturer, and he is a graduate of Durham University. He has over 30 years of experience in vision research and related topics. He has published about 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals (including top journals such as Nature and Current Biology) and his work has attracted over 3000 citations. His h-index is 33.

Selected Publications

Wall, M.B. and Smith, A.T. The representation of egomotion in the human brain. Current Biology 2008, 18, 191-194.

Smith, A.T., Cotton, P.L., Bruno, A. and Moutsiana. C. Dissociating vision and visual attention in the human pulvinar. Journal of Neurophysiology 2009, 101, 917 – 925.

Cardin, V. and Smith, A.T. Sensitivity of human visual and vestibular cortical regions to egomotion-compatible visual stimulation. Cerebral Cortex 2010, 20, 1964-1973.

Smith, A.T., Kosillo, P. and Williams, A.L. The confounding effect of response amplitude on MVPA performance measures. NeuroImage 2011, 56, 525-530.

Larsson, J. and Smith, A.T. fMRI repetition suppression: neuronal adaptation or stimulus expectation? Cerebral Cortex 2012, 22, 567-576.

Smith, A.T., Wall, M.B. & Thilo, K.V. Vestibular inputs to human motion-sensitive visual cortex. Cerebral Cortex 2012, 22, 1068-1077.

Dr Manos TsakirisDepartment of PsychologyManos.Tsakiris@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 276266

Research

Manos Tsakiris is leading the Laboratory of Action and Body (LAB), at the Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London. The main focus of our research is to empirically identify the basic neurocognitive principles governing the sense of self. In particular we focus on how the interaction between sensory-motor processing and social cognition give rise to self-awareness and modulate social interactions. Our research is inter-disciplinary, based on neuroscientific and psychological experimental paradigms as well as on neurophilosophical approaches to selfhood, and uses a wide range of methods, from psychometrics and psychophysics to functional neuroimaging.

Biography

Manos Tsakiris studied psychology and philosophy before completing his PhD in psychology and cognitive neurosciences at the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL. He is currently Reader in Neuropsychology at the Department of Psychology, Royal Holloway, University of London. His research is funded by ESRC (UK), Volkswagen Foundation (Germany) and by a Starting Investigator Grant from the European Research Council.

Selected Publications

Tajadura-Jiménez, A., Väljamäe, A., Toshima, I., Kimura, T., Tsakiris, M., Kitagawa, N. (2012). Action sounds recalibrate perceived tactile distance. Current Biology, 22(13), R516.

Tsakiris M, Tajadura-Jiménez A & Costantini M (2011). Just a heartbeat away from one’s body: interoceptive sensitivity predicts malleability of body representations. Proceedings of the Royal Society, B, Biological Sciences. 278(1717):2470-6. c

Tsakiris M, Longo MR & Haggard P (2010). Having a body versus moving your body: neural signatures of agency and body-ownership. Neuropsychologia, 48(9):2740-2749

Tsakiris M (2010). My body in the brain: a neurocognitive model of body-ownership. Neuropsychologia, 48(3):703-12.

Tsakiris M, Costantini M & Haggard P (2008). The role of the right temporoparietal junction in maintaining a coherent sense of one’s body. Neuropsychologia, 46, 3014-8.

Tsakiris M, Hesse M, Boy C, Haggard P & Fink GR (2007) Neural correlates of body-ownership: a sensory network for bodily self-consciousness, Cerebral Cortex, 17, 2235-2244.

Professor Andy Smith, and researchers in his lab Dr Jaclyn Billington and Dr Michele Furlan.

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Professor Robin Walker Department of PsychologyRobin.Walker@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 443518

Research

Professor Robin Walker’s research is in the field of Cognitive Neuroscience and involves studies designed to further our understanding of how the brain transforms sensory inputs into a goal-directed motor outputs. Specifically, his research centers on the human eye-movement (saccadic) system and he uses a video-based eye-tracker (SR Research ‘Eyelink’ system) to perform behavioural studies with human volunteers.

Professor Walker also used transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and functional brain imaging (fMRI) to investigate the role of specific brain regions in the process of saccade target selection. He has have developed fMRI techniques to investigate a non-cortical brain region (the superior colliculus) which is regarded as challenging due to its location deep in the brain and the issue of physiological noise.

The aim of this work is to further understanding of how the network of cortical and sub-cortical brain regions control the shifts of gaze and attention that are involved in the process of visual cognition. The research also has an applied aspect and Professor Walker has been involved in a project to develop an aid to improve reading in people with age-related macular disease. This has enabled him to develop an app for the iPad (called the MDReader) that was informed by an understanding of the role of eye movements in visual cognition.

Biography

Professor Walker completed his PhD at Durham working with Professor John M Findlay (1989–1992) and spent a further three years as a post doctoral RA working in the same lab. He went on to a post-doctoral research fellowship at Charing Cross (now Imperial) School of Medicine, working with Professor C Kennard (1995–1997). Professor Walker was appointed as a lecturer at Royal Holloway in 1997 and obtained a chair in 2006.

Selected Publications

Hermens, F., Sumner, P., & Walker, R. (2010). Inhibition of maskedprimes as revealed by saccade curvature. Vision Research, 50(1), 46-56. doi: 10.1016/j.visres.2009.10.008

Hermens, F., Zanker, J. M., & Walker, R. (2010). Microsaccades and preparatory set: a comparison between delayed and immediate, exogenous and endogenous pro- and anti-saccades. Experimental Brain Research, 201(3), 489-498. doi: 10.1007/s00221-009-2061-5

Hu, Y., & Walker, R. (2011). The neural basis of parallel saccade programming: An fMRI study. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 23(11), 3669-3680.

McSorley, E., Haggard, P., & Walker, R. (2006). Time-course of oculomotor inhibition revealed by saccade trajectory modulation. Journal of Neurophysiology., 96(3), 1420-1424.

McSorley, E., Haggard, P., & Walker, R. (2009). The spatial and temporal shape ofoculomotor inhibition. Vision Research, 49, 608-614.

Walker, R., Deubel, H., Schneider, W. X., & Findlay, J. M. (1997). Effect of remote distractors on saccade programming: evidence for an extended fixation zone. Journal of Neurophysiology, 78(2), 1108-1119.

Walker, R., & McSorley, E. (2006). The parallel programming of voluntary and reflexive saccades. Vision Research, 46, 2082-2093.

Walker, R., Techawachirakul, P., & Haggard, P. (2009). Frontal eye field stimulation modulates the balance of salience between target and distractors. Brain Research, 1270, 54-63.

Wall, M. B., Smith, A. T., & Walker, R. (2009).Functional imaging of the human superior colliculus: An optimised approach. NeuroImage, 47, 1620–1627.

Professor John WannDepartment of PsychologyJ.P.Wann@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 276177

Research

Our group have just completed an EPSRC grant using neuro-imaging to understand the control of steering at a cortical level; and currently we are running a 3-year ESRC grant looking at perceptual errors in children’s road crossing; and participating in a 3-year FP7 Marie Curie Network exploring optimal decisions in dynamic environments. The EPSRC project enabled us to make an initial foray into documenting the neural systems engaged by collision stimuli and a particularly novel contribution is the role of sub-cortical structures (1). Pushing those issues into an applied context our ESRC project is has documented critical limitations in the perceptual sensitivity of children (6 – 11 yrs old) in the context of road crossing (2). A linked ESRC studentship is also looking at the same issues in primary school children with recognized perceptuo-motor problems. With have initiated a collaborative studentship with the Transport Research Laboratory, Crowthorne (EPSRC DTA funded) to look a collision errors specific to approaching motorcyclists. We have just completed a short study funded by RoSPA on the errors made by older drivers (70+) in road settings.

Biography

John Wann established the Action Research Laboratories (ARL) 15 years ago and this research group gradually expanded and recently changed to become a multi-centre entity. The focus of the ARL group has been on human visual-temporal judgments, particularly in the context of locomotion and steering; collision avoidance; disorders in visuo-motor development, as well as visual attention in aging and those recovering from stroke; and issues related to 3D interactive displays. This has included human factors issues arising from the wide-spread use of simulation methods and VR displays. Support for this research has been provided by Research Councils: EPSRC, MRC and EU as well as commercial sponsorship (e.g. Olympus, Japan; Exponent, USA; Sharp Europe).

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This work has been published not only in specialist journals but in applied forums such as Human Computer Interaction/Human Factors and to a general science readership through Nature Neuroscience and Trends in Cognitive Science. In addition to activities at RHUL, John Wann is a visiting Professor at the Institute of Transport Studies, Univ of Leeds and sits on the Scientific Advisory Board for Volvo Technology on projects looking at the role of collision warning systems.

Selected publications

Reduced looming sensitivity in primary school children with Developmental Co-ordination Disorder, Purcell, C. , Wann, J. P. , Wilmut, K. & Poulter, D. 2012 In : Developmental Science. 15, 3, p. 299-306.

Neural processing of imminent collision in humans, Billington, J. , Wilkie, R. M. , Field, D. T. & Wann, J. 2011 In : Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological sciences. 278, p. 1476-1481.

An fmri study of parietal cortex involvement in the visual guidance of locomotion, Billington, J. , Field, D. T. , Wilkie, R. M. & Wann, J. 2010 In : Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance. 36, 6, p. 1495-1507.

Neural systems in the visual control of steering, Field, D. T. , Wilkie, R. M. & Wann, J. 25-Jul-2007 In : Journal of Neuroscience. 27, 30, p. 8002-10.

Functional localization of visual dorsal stream areas involved in steering a path based on visual information, Field, D. , Wilkie, R. & Wann, J. 2006 In : Journal of Psychophysiology. 20, 4, p. 321-321.

Perceiving time to collision activates the sensorimotor cortex, Field, D. T. & Wann, J. 8-Mar-2005 In : Current Biology . 15, 5, p. 453-8.

The role of size and binocular information in guiding reaching: insights from virtual reality and visual form agnosia III (of III), Wann, J. , Mon-Williams, M. , McIntosh, R. D. , Smyth, M. & Milner, A. D. 1-Jul-2001 In : Experimental Brain Research. 139, 2, p. 143-50.

Why you should look where you are going, Wann, J. & Swapp, D. K. 1-Jul-2000 In : Nature Neuroscience. 3, 7, p. 647-8.

Dr Christopher WilkinsonSchool of Biological SciencesChristopher.Wilkinson@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 443778

Research

My interest lies in the roles of centrioles and associated proteins, as parts of the centrosome and cilium, in early vertebrate development, using zebrafish embryos as a model system. The centrosome is the microtubule-organising centre of the cell and so influences cell shape, polarity and migration. The centrosome is adapted in many cells to form the basal body from which cilia, hair-like, microtubule-based structures that protrude from the cell surface of many cell types.Mutations in genes that encode components of the centrosome and cilium have been linked to a number of inherited, human

developmental diseases: Bardet-Biedl, Alstrom, Joubert and oral-facial-digital syndromes - the 'ciliopathies'; a disease called primary microcephaly in which the size of the brain is reduced.My research is aimed at finding and characterising zebrafish embryos depleted of other centriolar proteins that give similar phenotypes in order to work out the developmental pathways in which these proteins and organelles are involved. I am particularly interested in the control of cell division in the early embryonic brain. I use a variety of cell and molecular biology techniques in my research, including (confocal) (immuno)fluorscence microscopy and time-lapse imaging. I work with zebrafish embryos and zebrafish cell lines.

Biography

I studied for my doctorate in the Department of Biochemistry, University of Cambridge under Peter Leadlay, FRS. I was then a post-doc under Prof. Erich Nigg at the Max Planck Institute for Biochemistry in Munich where I worked on the centrosome proteome. I returned to the Anatomy Department at Cambridge for a second post-doc under Prof. Bill Harris, FRS, to study centrosomes using zebrafish as a model organism. I became a lecturer at Royal Holloway in 2008.

Selected Reference

Zolessi, FR, Poggi, L, Wilkinson, CJ, Chien, CB, and Harris, WA (2006), Polarization and orientation of retinal ganglion cells in vivo, Neural development 1(2): 2-23.

Professor Robin BS WilliamsSchool of Biological SciencesRobin.Williams@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 276162

Research

Advances in understanding the neuroscience of disease is currently highly problematic due to difficulties in experimental procedures with mammalian cells. These experiments also raise some ethical concerns. Our research has focused on understanding human diseases and conditions, the pharmacological mechanisms of drug action and the development of improved treatments, by using a stepwise approach to research. As a first step, we have championed the use of the simple biomedical model system, Dictyostelium discoideum to make breakthroughs in our understanding of the molecular cell biology of therapeutic drug action in disease treatment. As a second step, we have then advanced these studies using traditional neuroscience methodologies, leading to an improved understanding of human disease or the development of more effective and safer treatments. Areas of specific focus in our research include:

1. Understanding the molecular pharmacology of epilepsy and bipolar disorder drug action and developing improved treatments. We have a long-standing interesting in understanding the molecular mechanism for a widely prescribed epilepsy and bipolar disorder treatment, called Valproic acid. The mechanism for this compound remains unknown, and this has hampered the development of improved treatments. By taking advantage of a range of experimental approaches in

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Dictyostelium that are not possible in mammalian neurons, we have made a number of important discoveries in this area:

a. Epilepsy drug development. Identifying a molecular effect of valproic acid in Dictyostelium enabled us to screen a wide range of compounds related to valproic acid without using animals. From this study, we have identified a series of compounds that we have translated to traditional neuroscience models for epilepsy to show 3-5 fold improved efficacy in seizure control in in vitro and in vivo in seizure models using electrophysiology approaches. We have also shown that these compounds lack critical side effects associated with current treatment (by histone deactetylase (HDAC) analysis and lipid labelling experiments). Importantly, these novel compounds are related to those found in the ketogenic diet, which is widely used in the treatment of drug-resistant epilepsy in children. This work is likely to lead to the identification of improved epilepsy treatments.

b. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of bipolar disorder treatments. Neuropsychiatric research using traditional neuroscience models is highly complex due to experimental difficulties with maintaining and manipulating neurons. Our discovery of a common molecular effect of bipolar disorder treatments – through inositol depletion - has enabled us to focus on this effect in Dictyostelium to identify the primary site of action for bipolar disorder drugs and to develop new treatments. These experiments are based around molecular cell biology approaches.

2. Building a new model for the analysis of human presenilin cell function relating to familial Alzheimer’s disease. Inherited forms of Alzheimer’s disease are most often associated with mutations in one of two presenilin proteins. The analysis of the cellular role of these proteins in mammalian neurons is difficult, since genetic ablation of both enzymatic activities blocks development and is lethal. We have shown that Dictyostelium contains two related proteins, and these also control development. We have developed this project by showing that human presenilin proteins are functionally active in Dictyostelium and will provide an excellent model for molecular neuroscience and pharmacology research.

3. Exploring a non-sentient model for use in first-pass screens for emetic research. We have developed a novel screen to potentially enable the early identification of novel chemical entities (i.e. new therapeutic treatments) for causing emesis or nausea in animals. This screen may be employed to reduce the number of adverse animal experiments in novel drug development.

4. Protecting against terminal blood loss. A series of recent studies have identified a putative pharmacological mechanism for protecting patients against death by major trauma. We are investigating the cellular and molecular mechanism of this process with a view to potential drug development, using neuronal and hepatocyte models.

Biography

After undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from the University of Sydney (Australia), Dr Robin Williams developed a fundamental interest in molecular cell biology in microbial models whist at the University of Melbourne (Australia). A subsequent Postdoctoral position at St Andrews University in the UK led to a second postdoctoral position exploring pharmacological targets in the social amoeba Dictyostelium, at University College London (UCL).

Following a successful application for a Wellcome Trust Career Development fellowship, still at University College, enabled Dr Williams to start improving his understanding of the molecular mechanism of the antiepileptic and bipolar disorder treatment, Valproic acid, using Dictyostelium as an animal reduction/replacement model. From there he moved to Royal Holloway as senior lecturer and

then Reader in Molecular Cell Biology, where he continues his research into Neuroscience, molecular cell biology and the replacement and reduction of animals in research.

Selected Publications

Pakes, Veltman, Rivero, Nasir, Insall and Williams (2012) ZizB, a novel RacGEF regulates development, cell motility and cytokinesis in Dictyostelium. J Cell Sci, 125, 10, 2457-65

Elphick, Pawolleck, Guschina, Chaieb, Eikel, Nau, Harwood, Plant, and Williams (2012) Conserved valproic acid-induced lipid droplet formation in Dictyostelium and Human hepatocytes (huh7) identifies structurally active compounds. Disease Models and Mechanism, 5: 231-40

Robery, Mukanowa, Nathalie Percie du Sert, Andrews and Williams (2011) Investigating the effect of emetic compounds on chemotaxis in Dictyostelium identifies a non-sentient model for bitter and hot tastant research. Plos One, 6(9):e24439

Chang, Orabi, Deranieh, Dham, Hoeller, Shimshoni, Yagen, Bialer, Greenberg, Walker and Williams (2011) The anti-epileptic valproic acid and other medium chain fatty acids acutely reduce phosphoinositide levels independently of inositol in Dictyostelium. Disease Models and Mechanism, 5, 115-124.

Terbach, Shah, Keleman, Klein, Gordienko, Brown, Wilkinson, and Williams (2011) Identifying an uptake mechanism for the antiepileptic and bipolar disorder treatment valproic acid using the simple biomedical model Dictyostelium. J Cell Sci 124, 2267-76.

Ludtmann, Boeckeler and Williams (2011) Molecular pharmacology in a simple model system: implicating MAP kinase and phosphoinositide signalling in bipolar disorder. Seminars in Cell and Developmental Biology, 22, 105-13

Dr Rafael YáñezSchool of Biological SciencesRafael.Yanez@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1784 443180

Research Interests

The laboratory works on gene therapy for neurodegenerative diseases using novel, integration-deficient lentiviral vectors and adeno-associated viral vectors. They are particularly interested in the treatment of spinal muscular atrophy, Parkinson disease and stroke. They also use these vectors for gene repair in monogenic diseases including severe combined immunodeficiency and Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Another major goal is converting the non-replicating lentivector episomes into replicating episomes of wider applicability.

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Figure: labelling of neurons with integration-deficient lentiviral vectors. A vector expressing eGFP (a gene that makes cells fluoresce green) was used to mark cells in the spinal cord (left) or the olfactory bulb in the brain (right). On the left panel motor neurons were also stained red with an antibody, so if these cells have taken up the viral vector the overlap of red and green fluorescence in their cell bodies is seen as yellow.

Dr Yáñez and his team have demonstrated that lentiviral (HIV) vectors modified to prevent integration in the cellular genome are very efficient tools for gene therapy (Yáñez-Muñoz et al., 2006). The vectors are rendered integration-deficient by using missense mutations altering the integrase active site. Failing to integrate in the host cell genome these lentivectors generate increased levels of episomal vector circles, which lack replication signals and get diluted out through cell division. Gene expression from the viral episomes is transient in dividing cells but long-lived and efficient in quiescent tissues, including eye, brain, spinal cord and muscle (Yáñez-Muñoz et al., 2006; Fabes et al., 2006). The main advantages of these non-integrating lentivectors in gene addition strategies are their highly reduced risk of causing insertional mutagenesis and their avoidance of position effect variegation.

Biography

Rafael Yáñez is currently a Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Biomedical Sciences at the School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London. He previously held Lecturer appointments with King’s College London and University College London, and received his PhD and BSc in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. Dr Yáñez has a long-standing interest in gene therapy by both gene complementation and gene repair (homologous recombination). He is an expert in cell transgenesis and viral technology and has specifically researched on DNA viruses, therapeutic gene repair and viral vectors. Rafael Yáñez led the team that published the first in vivo demonstration of high transduction efficiency by integration-deficient lentiviral vectors (IDLVs), a very significant improvement in the bio-safety of this vector system. He is currently developing several viral vectors for further applications of research and clinical relevance, with particular interest in neurodegenerative and inherited diseases. Dr Yáñez is a member of the Board of the British Society for Gene Therapy and of two European Union FP7-funded consortia aiming at the development of gene therapy from bench to bed-side. He organises the largest UK event to mark Rare Disease Day (www.rhul.ac.uk/rarediseaseday).

Selected publications

Broadstock, M. and Yáñez-Muñoz, R.J. (2012) Challenges for gene therapy of CNS disorders and implications for Parkinson’s disease therapies. Hum Gene Ther 23, 340-343. Epub 2012 Apr 10. doi:10.1089/hum.2012.2507.

Hutson, T.H., Verhaagen, J., Yáñez-Muñoz, R.J. and Moon, L.D.F. (2012) Corticospinal tract transduction: a comparison of seven adeno-associated viral vector serotypes and a non-integrating lentiviral vector. Gene Ther, 19, 49-60. Epub 2011 May 12. doi:10.1038/gt.2011.71

Bartholomae, C.C., Arens, A., Balaggan, K.S., Yáñez-Muñoz, R.J., Montini, E., Howe, S.J, Paruzynski, A., Korn, B., Appelt, U., MacNeil, A., Cesana, D., Abel, U., Glimm, H., Naldini, L., Ali, R.R., Thrasher, A.J., von Kalle, C. and Schmidt, M. (2011) Lentiviral vector integration profiles differ in rodent postmitotic tissues. Mol Ther., 19, 703-10. Epub 2011 Mar 1.

Yip, P.K., Wong, L.-F., Sears, T.A., Yáñez-Muñoz, R.J. and McMahon, S.B. (2010) Neuronal calcium sensor 1 promotes functional plasticity after unilateral spinal cord injury. PLoS Biology, Jun 22;8(6):e1000399, Epub 2010 June 22. doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.1000399

Wanisch, K. and Yáñez-Muñoz, R.J. (2009) Integration-deficient lentiviral vectors: a slow coming of age. Mol Ther 17, 1316-1332. doi:10.1038/mt.2009.122.

Gabriel, R., Eckenberg, R., Paruzynski, A., Bartholomae, C.C., Nowrouzi, A., Arens, A., Howe, S.J., Recchia, A., Cattoglio, C., Wang, W., Faber, K., Schwarzwaelder, K., Kirsten, R., Deichmann, A., Ball, C.R., Balaggan, K.S., Yáñez-Muñoz, R.J., Ali, R.R., Gaspar, H.B., Biasco, L., Aiuti, A., Cesana, D., Montini, E., Naldini, L., Cohen-Haguenauer, O., Mavilio, F., Thrasher, A.J., Glimm, H., von Kalle, C., Saurin, W. and Schmidt, M. (2009) Comprehensive genomic access to vector integration in clinical gene therapy. Nat Med 15, 1431-1436. doi:10.1038/nm.2057.

Yáñez-Muñoz, R.J., Balaggan, K.S., MacNeil, A., Howe, S., Schmidt, M., Smith, A.J., Buch, P., MacLaren, R.E., Anderson, P.N., Barker, S., Duran, Y., Bartholomae, C., von Kalle, C., Heckenlively, J.R., Kinnon, C., Ali, R.R. and Thrasher, A.J. (2006) Effective gene therapy with nonintegrating lentiviral vectors. Nat. Med. 12, 348-353. doi:10.1038/nm1365

Professor Johannes ZankerDepartment of PsychologyJ.Zanker@rhul.ac.uk T: +44 (0)1794 443521

Research

Johannes Zanker is Professor of Neuroscience at Royal Holloway University of London. His research focuses on a combined psychophysical and computational approach to visual information processing in biological and artificial systems. He developed a biologically plausible model of the front-end filter, the 2DMD model, to precisely define the motion processing requirements for solving a given perceptual or control task, and to explore ideas about possible algorithms solving these problems. This model has been used to understand a variety of motion vision problems, including the analysis of natural motion signals and the discrimination of speed in noisy random dot kinematograms, as well as higher-order motion

processing and motion-based segmentation and motion transparency, and the perception of motion illusions in the Barbers Pole and Op Art paintings. In the context of a investigating the relationship between oculo-motor control and perception, he recently embarked on studying eye movements together with evolutionary algorithms as a tool to measure aesthetic preferences.

Biography

Educated at Universitaet Tübingen, Germany, and University of Sussex, UK, he developed much of his research career at the Max-Planck-Instuitut in Germany, University College London, UK, and the Australian National University, from where he joined RHUL. In the UK, he received funding from BBSRC, EPSRC, and The Leverhulme Trust. He attracted third-stream funding (NESTA, PARK, HEIF, Gateway Seed Fund) to develop new technologies based on principles of visual information processing in humans. He held various patents, published extensively in scientific journals and is presenting regularly at international conferences.

Techniques: psychophysics, eye tracking, computational modelling, some electrophysiology, thinking (sometimes)

Selected Publications

Durant, S. and J.M. Zanker: Variation in the local motion statistics of real-life optic flow scenes. Neural Computation 24, 1781-1805 (2012)

Holmes, T. and J.M. Zanker: Using an oculomotor signature as an indicator of aesthetic preference. iPerception 3, 426-439 (2012)

Durant, S. M.B. Walla, and J.M. Zanker: Manipulating the content of dynamic natural scenes to characterize response in human MT/MST. Journal of Vision 11 (10): 5, 1-14 (2011)

Zanker, J.M., F. Hermens and R. Walker: Quantifying and modeling the strength of motion illusions perceived in static patterns. Journal of Vision 10 (2): 13, 1-14 (2010)

Meso, A.I. and J.M. Zanker: Speed encoding in correlation motion detectors as a consequence of spatial structure. Biological Cybernetics 100, 361-370 (2009)

Zanker, J.M. and J. Zeil: Movement-induced motion signal distributions in outdoor scenes. Network: Computation in Neural Systems 16 (4), 357-376 (2005)

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Royal Holloway, University of LondonEgham, Surrey, TW20 0EX

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