Dr Magda Chechlacz
Supervisor Details
Research Interests
Dr Chechlacz’s research is broadly concerned with understanding how variability in the neurochemical, structural and functional organisation of the brain affect cognitive performance, in particularly attentional functions, as well as whether and how these individual differences predict the susceptibility to neurological disorders and the way we age. Her prior research programme funded by the British Academy examined whether variability in the organisation of the visual attention networks is associated with individual differences in attentional functions, whether structural lateralization underlies functional lateralization in the organisation of attention and whether behavioural asymmetries are causally linked to the structural asymmetries in attention networks. Her current work aims to test for associations between common genetic variants in neurotransmitter signalling and resting state connectivity within attention networks as well as examine the links between those functional genetic polymorphisms and individual differences in age-related cognitive decline in attention.
Scientific Inspiration
Santiago Ramón y Cajal, not just for his groundbreaking discoveries and contributions to neuroscience but also beautiful drawings of neurons and neural networks. His line sketches used to capture my imagination when as neurobiology student I used to study axonal growth under the microscope and also inspire my current fascination with diffusion tractography, a magnetic resonance imaging technique used to non-invasively explore human brain connectivity underlying normal functions and dysfunctions in neurological disorders.
MIBTP Project Details
Previous Projects (2024-25)
Primary supervisor for:
Co-supervisor on a project with Dr Davinia Fernández-Espejo.
Previous Projects (2023-24)
Primary supervisor for: