The disordered brain

It is estimated the brain can store 1 million gigabytes! We can learn tens of thousands of words, how to walk, or to play a musical instrument. Why then is it so hard to remember what we had for dinner last week, or the name of the person who just told you their name barely 10 seconds ago? What exactly is memory anyway? Where in the brain are memories stored, and can we even rely on them? Can we improve our memory? We will also explore memory failure in dementia and research to combat this, including whether there is anything we can do to reduce our chances of getting it in the first place.

How do our brains learn to paint for us the subtle canvas of the world? Our early experiences are crucial for assembling circuits that guide our decisions and interpret the actions and emotions of others throughout life. Individuals with Autism experience innocuous sensations as unpleasant and distressing - implicating faulty processing of sensory input in cognitive and social problems. But what is going on at the level of circuits of neurons and how can we help? Through neural recordings, network simulation and robotics I will explore how sensory perception changes in Autistic brains.