2021 Conference

Professor Kate Hoy (she/her) is Head of Interventional Neuropsychology and Deputy Director of the Epworth Centre for Innovation in Mental Health (ECIMH), a Monash University and Epworth HealthCare research centre. 

With more than 15 years’ experience in clinical brain stimulation research, she runs a substantive program focused on developing novel biological treatments for cognitive disorders. She currently leads a number of world first clinical trials aimed at improving cognition in Alzheimer's, as well preventing dementia in people with mild cognitive impairment. Professor Hoy’s team is also conducting research looking at cognitive impairment in schizophrenia, anxiety, and Huntington's disease, as well as investigating ways in which to optimise efficacy of prefrontal brain stimulation techniques.  She has worked with a variety of stimulation methods (i.e. TMS, TBS, MST, tES), diverse patient populations (i.e. dementia, schizophrenia, brain injury), and methodologies (i.e. experimental, longitudinal, RCTs; using behavioural and neurobiological measures); having published 115 scientific journal articles and received over 16 million dollars in funding to date.

Professor Hoy is on the editorial board of Cortex, has given more than 40 invited presentations on cognition and brain stimulation, and is the current President of the Australasian Brain Stimulation Society. She is also a passionate science advocate and currently works with the Australian Academy of Science across a number of national diversity and inclusion initiatives. In 2016 she founded the WomeninBrainStim.com initiative, a database website which has had a positive impact in addressing the extreme gender imbalances at international brain stimulation conferences, as highlighted in Science Careers.

Gregor Thut, PhD, is Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Glasgow, and Director of its Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging (CCNi). His research interfaces human electrophysiology and non-invasive transcranial brain stimulation, with an emphasis on how dynamic network activity in the human brain, inferred from brain oscillations, relate to perception, attention and cognition. His goal is to develop the existing non-invasive stimulation techniques into more powerful neuroscience tools and clinically effective protocols, to manipulate and better understand the brain-behaviour relationship and the neural processes driving it.

Kim Butts Pauly's lab studies novel therapies of focused ultrasound, a versatile technology with many applications. The lab uses image guidance to better plan, monitor, and evaluate treatment efficacy as well as to understand basic science mechanisms. By leveraging their own lab's scientific and engineering expertise and working in collaboration with other labs, their goal is to improve these focused ultrasound therapies as they become more commonly used in the clinic.

Juha Silvanto is Reader in Neuroscience at the School of Psychology, University of Surrey. His research focuses on enhancing the specificity of brain stimulation effects and understanding the mechanisms of the induced effects. He also uses brain stimulation to study the neural basis of cognitive functions such as visual awareness, working memory and visual awareness. 

The State is the Art: Using simultaneous TMS-EEG-fMRI to assess oscillatory brain state-dependent gating of cortico-subcortical network activity

Combining neuroimaging with brain stimulation can visualise stimulation-induced network effects in the brain. However, concurrent TMS-fMRI studies, e.g., cannot capture the fast temporal dynamics of ongoing neural communication within and between such interconnected networks. Even during rest, there is continuous coupling and uncoupling of functional networks, resulting in ongoing fluctuations in brain states. It is therefore crucial to interpret TMS-induced network activations in a temporal context. Measuring this temporal context usingEEG in addition to fMRI during TMS may allow to better understand how oscillations and brain-wide network dynamics interrelate. In my talk, I will present a concrete set up and first empirical data showcasing the unique potential of human simultaneous TMS-EEG-fMRI applications to reveal brain-wide dynamics and network communication mechanisms. Simultaneous human TMS-EEG-fMRI will enable future evidence-based individualized applications of TMS at predefined oscillatory brain states that either will or will not lead to specific network brain activations by either facilitating or shunting signal propagation from the cortical TMS stimulation site. Our data demonstrate that this feature can be exploited at the single-subject level and may be particularly relevant in clinical contexts where patient-tailored approaches will be required that go beyond average group statistics.

Rich Ivry is a professor of psychology and neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley. He directs the Cognition and Action lab, using various tools of cognitive neuroscience to explore human performance in healthy and neurologically impaired populations. Prof. Ivry has a long-standing interest in the cerebellum, seeking to understand the role of this subcortical structure in skilled movement, timing, and, through its interactions with the cerebral cortex, cognition.  Prof. Ivry’s lab has used non-invasive brain stimulation methods to study how people select, plan, and implement movements, using these techniques to perturb neural function and as a probe on the state of cortical excitability.

Davinia Fernández-Espejo’s main goal is to understand how the brain supports consciousness and what goes wrong for patients to become entirely unaware after severe brain injury. She uses techniques such as MRI (structural and functional), tDCS, and behavioural approaches in both healthy volunteers and patients with a disorder of consciousness to test hypotheses about the role of different brain structures in the clinical deficits they present. This research is directly translated into the development of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers to be used in clinical settings, as well as the development of novel treatment approaches.

Kristen Warren is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Eric Wassermann in the Behavioral Neuroscience Unit of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. She obtained her Neuroscience PhD in 2020 from Northwestern University working with Dr. Joel Voss. Her work focuses on the network basis of episodic memory function, in particular how changes in network states may influence memory processes, using a combination of fMRI, EEG, TMS, and cognitive testing. 

Dr Siti Yaakub is a postdoctoral researcher with Dr Elsa Fouragnan at the University of Plymouth’s School of Psychology. Her current research is mainly focused on understanding the effects of transcranial focused ultrasound (TUS) neuromodulation on decision making processes using simultaneous EEG-fMRI. She is also working on simulations of the TUS acoustic field for transcranial stimulation experiments. Her previous work was primarily in epilepsy research, where she investigated structural and functional brain abnormalities using multi-modal neuroimaging techniques (MRI, PET and EEG). She is interested in the application of low-intensity transcranial ultrasound to modulate brain excitability in neurological disorders such as epilepsy.

In 2020, Roisin McMackin was awarded the Brainbox Initiative Research Challenge Award for her fantastic proposed study investigating motor and cognitive cortical network dysfunction-based biomarkers of neurodegenerative diseases - a study that she is planning to start work on in mid-2021 using a range of DuoMAG TMS equipment and the Brainsight TMS Navigation system provided by Brainbox.

After obtaining my Bachelor of Science in Psychology (summa cum laude) in 2015, I graduated from the Research Master in Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience (cum laude) in 2017. I then became a PhD candidate at Maastricht University within the Brain Stimulation and Cognition group, supervised by Dr. Tom de Graaf and Prof. Dr. Alexander Sack. My PhD trajectory is funded by a Research Talent grant from the Dutch organization for scientific research (NWO), entitled “In control of attention: teasing apart the brain’s top-down mechanisms of attention allocation”. I investigate the neuronal mechanisms underlying endogenous visuospatial attention, with special interest in the role of alpha oscillations (e.g., current brain state in terms of alpha power or phase, and individual alpha frequency). In the projects that I worked on during the past years, I made use of various (combinations of) neuroscientific methods including tACS, eyetracking, and simultaneous TMS-EEG-fMRI.

I am a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow in the Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering and a WEISS Research Fellow at the Welcome EPSRC Centre for Interventional and Surgical Sciences at UCL. My research is mainly focused on the measurement and measurement based simulation of ultrasound fields, and ultrasonic device design and characterisation. These activities underpin the development of existing ultrasound therapies and new medical applications of ultrasound.

My current UKRI fellowship is focused on ultrasonic rewarming of biological cells and tissues after cryopreservation, with the aim of developing a flexible tool for uniform and rapid warming of increased volumes of material.

A particular focus of my work generally is concerned with making quantitative comparisons between accurate hydrophone measurements and simulations of acoustic fields made using the k-Wave acoustics toolbox. One current area of investigation is related to the modelling of the propagation of ultrasound through the skull for application in transcranial ultrasound therapies. I am also working on the development and characterisation of hardware for targeted ultrasonic neuromodulation in the deep brain as part of a multidisciplinary team.

I am a member of the British Standards Institute (BSI) Ultrasonics Technical Committee, and an expert member of 2 working groups of the IEC Ultrasonics Technical Committee TC87, as part of which I am currently working with a small team on a new international standard for measurement based ultrasound simulation.

I am also a member of the International Transcranial Ultrasonic Stimulation Safety and Standards (ITRUSST), an international consortium which brings together academics, clinicians, manufacturers, and regulatory bodies to work towards the safe and effective application of transcranial focused ultrasound for neuromodulation.

Matthew is a PhD student at the University of Birmingham, working under the supervision of Dr Ned Jenkinson, Professor Chris Miall and Dr John-Stuart Brittain. His research focusses on sensorimotor neuroscience, brain stimulation and ageing. More specifically, Matthew is interested in how humans learn and adapt new motor behaviours and how non-invasive brain stimulation techniques can be used to improve and/or ameliorate sensorimotor function in healthy young and ageing populations. His work primarily utilises transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), which he pairs with motor learning tasks to measure changes in performance. His recent work has sought to develop ways in which tDCS can bee more effectively applied with regards to temporal precision and functional targeting. 

David Pitcher, PhD is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of York.  I investigate the cortical mechanisms that underlie face perception and object recognition in the human brain. I do this using a combination of TMS, neuroimaging and by testing neuropsychological patients. The current focus of my research is to demonstrate the existence of specialized cortical pathway for social perception on the lateral brain surface

I graduated as a Biomedical Engineer (MSc) and Mechanical Engineer (BSc) from one of the most prestigious university of Pakistan (NUST). I later worked at the same institute as Junior Lecturer (Lab Engineer) and then managed Ed-tech Entrepreneurship program in the first global accelerator of Pakistan. Previously, I have worked on design, development and control of medical robots, mobile, aerial and humanoid robots. This experience equipped me with the skills of real-time signal processing (BCI, Neurofeedback), advanced programming (C, C++, MATLAB, Python), rapid prototyping (3D printing, FDM), modelling (CAD ,CAM) and simulation (FEM, CFD). Meanwhile, I also gained careful measurement and analytical skills, good attention to detail, a good eye for design, the creative and technical ability to turn designs into products and importantly communication and teamworking skills. Currently, as a doctoral candidate, at the Dr. Til Ole Bergmann’s Neurostimulation research group, I am investigating function of neuronal oscillations of human brain during awake and sleep conditions. My research also focuses on spindles in NREM sleep and theta waves in REM sleep to investigate memory consolidation by applying simultaneous real-time EEG triggered TMS.

My research is focused on exploring how ultrasound can be used as a non-invasive method to modulate cortical and sub-cortical excitability in the human brain. We employ various methods to non-invasively monitor brain activity in response to ultrasound including EEG, EMG, fMRI and TMS. In addition, we also test the effect of ultrasound to cortical and sub-cortical areas on behavior. The lab also fabricates transducers and conducts empirical acoustic testing and computer modelling of acoustic wave propagation to better understand the energy and location of ultrasound effects. We look to adapt and optimize focused ultrasound for non-invasive human brain mapping with eventual translation to clinical populations for both diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

The lab also conducts basic ultrasound neuromodulation research in small and large animal preparations exploring optimal parameters and safety for efficacious modulation.

Sjoerd Meijer is a first year PhD candidate in the Affective Neuroscience group at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour at Radboud University.

In his PhD project, Sjoerd is looking at how humans perceive threat by using transcranial ultrasound stimulation to non-invasively modulate the amygdala during fear learning.

Sjoerd Meijer also holds a bachelor's degree in Psychology as well as a master's degree in Cognitive Neuroscience. The transition to his current position came as a result of his interest in anxiety, the amygdala, and non-invasive deep brain stimulation.

Dr Daniel Corp is a Neuroscientist at Deakin University, Australia. His research is focused on brain stimulation and neuroimaging in neurological disorders.

Daniel is the recipient of our 2021 Young Investigator Award and will be speaking at the Brainbox Initiative Conference 2021.

Mirja Steinbrenner, MD, of King’s College London, was awarded the 2018 Brainbox Initiative Research Challenge award. Mirja’s winning submission to the Research Challenge uses transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) techniques to explore the ‘Reduction of cerebral excitation through combination of GSR biofeedback and tDCS’, and was chosen by the Brainbox Initiative’s Scientific Committee as one of 2018's two successful winners, alongside Dr Kathy Ruddy.

Dr. Daniel Sheltraw has expertise in magnetic resonance physics, applied mathematics and control systems engineering.  His research, focused on solving the physics and engineering challenges of extending TMS and tES systems beyond their present capabilities, led to the theoretical development of kTMP. 

Dr Helen Nuttall is a Lecturer in Cognitive Neuroscience and a BBSRC New Investigator in the Department of Psychology at Lancaster University UK, where she leads the Neuroscience of Speech and Action (NoSA) Laboratory. The NoSA Lab investigate research questions surrounding how speech, action, and cognitive function are represented in the brain; how these functions work in health and disease; and how they are affected by the ageing process. To answer these questions, she uses a variety of methods in her work, including Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), electroencephalography (EEG), Magnetic Resonance Imagining (MRI), electromyography (EMG), and behavioural techniques. Prior to joining Lancaster University, Dr Nuttall worked as a Leverhulme Trust-funded Postdoctoral Research Associate with Dr Patti Adank and Professor Joe Devlin at University College London. In her PhD, she investigated how speech is represented in the subcortical auditory system using EEG, and how the subcortical representation of speech is modulated by peripheral and cortical influences.

Dr Nuttall is acting as Conference Chair for the 2021 BrainBox Initiative Conference and is looking forward to welcoming attendees to the event in September!

Dr Paul Taylor is a cognitive neuroscientist at the psychology department of LMU Munich, Germany. He has previously held positions in both the LMU medical faculty and the LMU philosophy faculty. These ongoing collaborations across Psychology, Neurology and Philosophy reflect the inherently interdisciplinary approach of cognitive neuroscience.

Paul is a member of the Brainbox Initiative Scientific Committee and will be chairing the Brainbox Initiative Conference 2021's TMS session.

Dr Lennart Verhagen is an Assistant Professor at the Donders Institute, Centre for Cognition, of the Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.

In his work he develops new non-invasive brain stimulation techniques to modulate neural circuits. Lennart is working on novel ultrasound neuromodulation techniques to alter brain areas with high precision, especially areas deep in the brain, such as the amygdala and caudate. He also extends more conventional approaches, for example using paired-associative TMS approaches to couple or uncouple specific cortical connections supporting decision making.

Dr Lennart Verhagen is a member of the Brainbox Initiative's Scientific Committee and will be chairing the TUS session at the Brainbox Initiative Conference 2021.

Dr Ines Violante is a neuroscientist at the school of psychology, University of Surrey, UK, where she leads the NeuroModulation Lab. Dr Violante is interested in developing and applying tools capable of influencing brain function non-invasively to understand and modulate brain networks to impact behaviour. The lab uses a multidisciplinary approach ranging from computational models, imaging (fMRI, EEG), sensory and electrical stimulation.

Ines is a member of the Brainbox Initiative's Scientific Committee and will be chairing the 2021 Neuroimaging session.

Professor Sven Bestmann's ambition is to understand the neural and behavioural underpinnings of healthy and pathological movement, and to develop better interventional approaches for the treatment of movement disorders. He uses a multi-disciplinary approach comprising of behavioural studies of motor control, human neurophysiology (MEG), noninvasive brain stimulation, and computational approaches, in service of the question of how we move.

For the Brainbox Initiative Conference 2021, Professor Sven Bestmann will be chairing the transcranial electrical stimulation panel.