Neural Mechanisms of Consciousness
Uncovering the biological sources of consciousness has been a source of curiosity and debate for millennia. My research asks where and when do sensory conscious perceptions arise in the human brain. I use complementary neuroimaging methods (fMRI, MEG, and EEG) to study both cortical and subcortical mechanisms and neural information flow (i.e., feedback vs feedforward processing). My research involves both healthy individuals and people with sensory impairments.
Highlight Publications
Can conscious states (e.g., drowsy versus alert) and experiences be inferred from subtle physiological signals such as eye movements and pupil size? My research combines eye tracking and pupillometry with machine learning approaches to investigate whether conscious perception can be detected without requiring participants to provide explicit reports of their conscious experiences.
Highlight Publications
Healthy conscious state fluctuates throughout the day. Unknown is whether conscious state can be voluntarily modulated? My research explores biofeedback as a potential tool for influencing the brain networks involved in regulating conscious state (e.g., thalamus and tegmentum). By investigating these approaches, this research may guide the development of non-invasive approaches for rehabilitating normal conscious state in the disorders of consciousness.