Skip to main content
Go to the home page of the European Commission (opens in new window)
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS

Studying brain representations as a distributed process: from neural code to behavior

Objective

We know coffee not only by its taste, but also by its name and association with caffeine. How our brains enable this association between stimulus-aspects and guides our behavior accordingly (e.g. determining whether we should drink coffee or discuss it) is one of the core questions of cognitive neuroscience. Neuroimaging research of brain activity indeed confirm that the brain simultaneously processes stimuli across distributed areas, each selective for a specific stimulus aspect. However, the computational research of stimulus representations (how fine-grained activity patterns relate to specific stimuli), is currently constrained to the detailed inspection of isolated brain areas. The proposed project offers a new formalism and method that may link these two research streams, initiating the study of representations as a distributed neural process. By combining the computational and experimental knowledge of the host with the functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) expertise of the researcher, the proposed project aims to reveal: 1) what computational principle underlies representations of different stimulus-aspects across brain areas, 2) whether distributed representations can co-express to form an overall knowledge of a stimulus, and 3) what mechanism regulates the expression of representations to allow flexible behavior. These questions will be addressed by studying brain activity evoked by stimuli composed of multiple aspects (visual, phonetic, associative) and by drawing from fMRI, brain stimulation and computational methods. Hence, the proposed work will provide the researcher with diverse training-through-research and a platform for establishing interdisciplinary collaborations. Expected results may bridge between the two major streams of cognitive neuroimaging to form a new understanding of how neural computations underlie distributed cognitive processes, which in turn gives rise to complex human behavior.

Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)

CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.

You need to log in or register to use this function

Programme(s)

Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.

Topic(s)

Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.

Funding Scheme

Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.

MSCA-IF-EF-ST - Standard EF

See all projects funded under this funding scheme

Call for proposal

Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.

(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2017

See all projects funded under this call

Coordinator

UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 195 454,80
Address
GOWER STREET
WC1E 6BT LONDON
United Kingdom

See on map

Region
London Inner London — West Camden and City of London
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

€ 195 454,80
My booklet 0 0