PhD in Auditory Neuroscience (UCL)
MSc in Computer Science (UCL)
BSc in Neuroscience (UCL)

Postdoctoral Researcher

RESEARCH SUMMARY

I've built up the Oxford Cognitive Testing Portal (OCTAL; https://octalportal.com/) with Masud. OCTAL offers a variety of self-administered, web-based, validated cognitive tests that can assess a broad spectrum of cognitive abilities in both healthy and patient populations, including those with Alzheimer's disease and post-COVID conditions. I particularly love designing tasks that provide precise measurements for researchers, useful information for clinicians, and, most importantly, that patients also find enjoyable. Making science reproducible and its applications practical in the real world makes me very happy.

Along with these "useful" works, a big and basic question about the human brain fascinates me. Like a sea with erratic waves, the world in which we live is rife with uncertainties. Our brain monitors these uncertainties continuously and responds to them appropriately. How does the brain accomplish this? During my PhD at UCL, I studied this question at the level of perception using pupillometry and neuroimaging. My research at Oxford will allow me to tackle this question from a fresh perspective: what cognitive abilities are required to permit our adaptive behaviour?

BIOGRAPHY

Before joining Oxford, I did my undergraduate in Neuroscience, MSc in Computer Science and PhD in Auditory Neuroscience, all at University College London. My past research focused on the role of the neuromodulator noradrenaline in tracking the statistics of our surroundings. I specialise in EEG, pupillometry and microsaccade, and I am also experienced with running human behavioural experiments online.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

EMAIL:                     sijia.zhao@psy.ox.ac.uk