Shaping beautiful minds: Research, illusions and the brain

This talk will focus on my work with local Scouting and Girlguiding groups as a way of conducting psychological research with young people, while simultaneous encouraging their interest in science, and educating them on how our brains work, how we understand the word around us, and what happens to our brains when they go wrong. Additionally, I will introduce my research I have conducted with young people which aims to understand behavioural and cognitive aspects of development, such as prosocial behaviour and mathematical cognition. 

Our minds do a fantastic job of helping us make sense of the world and perception is both a masterpiece and mystery. In this talk, we will explore how illusions and hallucinations reveal the fascinating way our brains interpret reality. Through some interactive demonstrations, I hope to show you that the fabric of perception is quite delicate and can be both remarkable and deceptive which would offer some insights into the brain's complex processes. We'll conclude with discussing research in this field and appreciate the role perception plays in shaping our experiences.

Inside our brains, there are hidden maps of our bodies – from our heads and shoulders to our knees and toes (knees and toes, knees and toes…). However, these body parts are different shapes and sizes based on their use, sensitivity and the delicate balance of brain excitation and inhibition. In this talk, we’ll explore how powerful tools—functional MRI and non-invasive brain stimulation—can help us uncover these maps and reveal differences when this balance is disrupted in those with movement disorders.