Mac Shine, PhD - The Neural Basis of Cognition: Insights from Neurobiology and Non-linear Dynamics

COEX 

Much of human neuroscience research to date has focused on statistical approaches that describe relatively stationary patterns of localized neural activity or blood flow. While these patterns are often interpreted in light of dynamic, information-processing concepts, the static, local, and inferential nature of the statistical approach makes it challenging to directly link neuroimaging results to plausible underlying neural mechanisms. In my talk, I will argue that combining neuroanatomical principles and dynamical systems theory together with functional neuroimaging and computational modelling provides a crucial mechanistic framework for understanding the link between neurobiological structure and cognitive function. In particular, I will outline how distinct arms of the ascending arousal system can shape and constrain ongoing brain state dynamics in ways that underlie our perceptual and cognitive capacities.