Dr Harriet Dempsey-Jones

My work looks at how our brains change as a result of daily life experiences (brain ‘plasticity’). I look at what happens when we add information to the system, e.g., when you stimulate the senses, or provide sensory training to enhance sensory perception. I also look at what happens when you remove input, e.g., when a limb is amputated, or sensation is removed with anaesthetic. Some of this research looks at these changes directly using brain imaging (e.g., magnetic resonance imaging, or electroencephalography). I also, however, like to use well-designed tests of behaviour and perception to infer from the outside how the brain is organised or is changing after an intervention.

See below for some examples of my work:

• Organized Toe Maps in Extreme Foot Users
• Blocking tactile input to one finger using anaesthetic enhances touch perception and learning in other fingers