The neural dynamics of how expectation modulates visual object recognition (360G-Wellcome-211200_Z_18_Z)

How do we understand what we see? Recognising objects depends on dynamic transformations of information from vision to semantics - but in the real world, our understanding of what we see is shaped by the environment. When we see an object, we are already in a complex and rich environment, which leads to expectations about the kind of things we may see. The over-arching vision for this fellowship is to understand how the environment shapes the neural dynamics and mechanisms of object recognition, most saliently in terms of the fundamental components of recognition - visual and semantic processing. This research will test how environmental context changes neural dynamics prior to seeing objects, and how context impacts ongoing visual and semantic processes. This will be addressed through lab-based studies and real-world neuroscience, which presents the ultimate test of how the environment changes our perceptions. I will deploy a range of cutting-edge methodologies; computational modelling, pattern similarity analysis, neural oscillations, connectivity, and augmented reality, within a convergent multimodal brain imaging framework (fMRI, MEG, EEG and mobile EEG). This research will drive forward models of object recognition, confronting the fundamental issue of how our perception of the world influences the dynamics of recognition.