Senses & Sensibility

The pupil is an adjustable opening at the centre of the iris that regulates the amount of light that enters the eye. In bright light, the pupil constricts (gets smaller), whereas it dilates (gets larger) in relatively darker conditions. This is called the pupillary light reflex. In this talk I will discuss how pupillometry—the study of changes in pupil size —has led researchers to conclude that pupillary response is far more than a mere reflex. By showing results from recent studies, I will argue that pupillometry may offer a unique window into complex activity happening in the brain.

How the early sensory areas of the brain involved in vision, hearing, and touch process information from the outside world is a current hot topic in brain research. This talk will cover how information processing in these areas can change based on our knowledge and previous experiences. I willpresent our research which has shown somatosensory brain regions, classically thought to only deal with touch, can actually categorise different sounds if the sound conveys interactions with the hands, such as the sound of typing on a keyboard.