Date: Thursday 13 November

Time: 4.30 - 6.00pm (1 hour presentation, followed by discussion and questions)

Venue: Level 7 Seminar Room, Queensland Brain Institute (Building #79) The University of Queensland, St Lucia Campus

Speaker: Associate Professor Ross Cunnington

Title: Motor Learning and Mirroring in the Brain

About the speaker

Associate Professor Ross Cunnington is a cognitive neuroscientist with research interests in the brain processes involved in the planning and preparation for action and in the perception and imitation of others’ actions. He was awarded a PhD in psychology from Monash University in 1997. He joined The University of Queensland in 2007 as a Principal Research Fellow in the School of Psychology and the Queensland Brain Institute.

Abstract

The motor system of the brain is crucial not only for controlling our own body movements, but also for our ability to perceive and understand the actions and intentions of others, through "mirroring" processes. In this talk, I will overview three areas of research in my group focussing on function of the motor system and neural mirroring processes: Examining neural processes engaged during learning of new motor tasks; examining function of deep brain regions important for motor control that can now be seen with new high-resolution MRI brain imaging methods; and examining mirroring processes that allow us to perceive others' actions and intentions and may form the basis of human empathy.

RSVP (for catering purposes): slc@uq.edu.au

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For more information on the SLRC please visit www.slrc.org.au.