BIOGRAPHY

I obtained my BSc (Hons) in Cognitive Science from the University of Westminster before undertaking a PhD at Imperial College, University of London. This was an examination of the functional significance of the human electroencephalogram (EEG) in relation to  internally and externally directed attention. I went on to carry out two post-doctoral positions: one at Imperial College London and one at the Alfred Psychiatry Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne. I am presently a lecturer in the Department of Psychology, and also Newsletter Editor for the British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience (http://www.bacn.co.uk/ ).

RESEARCH OVERVIEW

My main research interests lie in the following fields: the functional significance of cortical oscillatory activity (as measured using the EEG); TMS and cortical plasticity; modulation of attention and attentional disorders; individual differences in the human mirror neuron system; time perception and the experience of duration.

I have most recently been engaged in various studies investigating EEG and TMS indices of the putative human mirror neuron system and how these measures vary as a function of individual differences in empathy, autistic traits, experience and susceptibility to yawning. I am also involved in projects examining the effects of rTMS on oscillatory activity, mood, cognition and behaviour in control and clinical populations. Other applied interests of mine include the relationship between television editing and children’s attention and the effects of mobile phone emissions on cortical activity.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Cooper, N., Simpson, A., Till, A. Simmons, K., & Puzzo, I. (2013). Beta event-related desynchronization as an index of individual differences in processing human facial expression: further investigations of autistic traits in typically developing adults. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 7, 159. link to paper

Simpson, A., Cooper, N.R., Gillmeister, H., & Riggs, K.J. (in press).  Seeing triggers acting but hearing doesn’t trigger saying: evidence from children’s failed inhibition. Cognition.

Segrave RA, Thomson RH, Cooper NR, Croft RJ, Sheppard DM, Fitzgerald PB.  (2012).  Emotive Interference During Cognitive Processing in Major Depression: An Investigation Of Lower Alpha 1 Activity. Journal of Affective Disorders 141(2-3):185-93.

Cooper, N., Puzzo, I., Pawley, A., Bowes-Mulligan, R., Kirkpatrick, E., Antoniou, P. & Kennett, S.  2012.  Bridging a yawning chasm: EEG investigations into the debate concerning the role of the human mirror neuron system in contagious yawning.  Cognitive, Affective & Behavioral Neuroscience 12(2):393-405.

Puzzo, I., Cooper, N.R., Cantarella, S. & Russo, R.  (2011).  Measuring the Effects of Manipulating Stimulus Presentation Time on Sensorimotor Alpha and Low Beta Reactivity During Hand Movement Observation.  NeuroImage 57(4):1358-63.

Leung, S., Croft, R.J.,  McKenzie, R.J., Iskra, S., Silber, B., Cooper, N.R., O'Neill, B., Cropley, V., Diaz-Trujillo, A., Hamblin, D. and Simpson, D.  (2011).  Effects of 2G and 3G Mobile Phones on Performance and Electrophysiology in Adolescents, Young Adults and Older Adults.  Clinical Neurophysiology 122(11):2203-16.

Segrave, R.A., Cooper, N.R., Thomson, R.H., Croft, R.J., Sheppard, D.M., Fitzgerald, P.B. (2011).  Individualised Alpha Activity and Frontal Asymmetry in Major Depression. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience 42(1):45-52.

Segrave, R.A., Thomson, R.H., Cooper, N.R., Croft, R.J., Sheppard, D.M. & Fitzgerald, P.B.  (2010).  Upper alpha activity during working memory processing reflects abnormal inhibition in major depression.  Journal of Affective Disorders 127(1-3):191-8.

Upton, D. J., Enticott, P. G., Croft, R. J., Cooper, N. R., & Fitzgerald, P. B. (2010).  ERP correlates of response inhibition after-effects in the stop signal task. Experimental Brain Research 206(4):351-8.

Puzzo, I., Cooper, N.R., Vetter, P. & Russo, R.  (2010).  EEG activation differences in the pre-motor cortex and supplementary motor area between normal individuals with high and low traits of autism. Brain Research 1342:104-10.

Croft, R.J., Leung, S., McKenzie, R., Loughran, S., Iskra, S., Hamblin, D. & Cooper, N.R.  (2010).  Effects of 2G and 3G Mobile Phones on Human Alpha Rhythms: Resting EEG in Adolescents, Young Adults and the Elderly.  Bioelectromagnetics 31(6):434-44.

Upton, D. J., Cooper, N., R., Laycock, R., Croft, R., J., Fitzgerald, P., B. (2010).  A combined rTMS and ERP investigation of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex involvement in response inhibition. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience 41(3):127-31.

Puzzo, I., Cooper, N.R., Vetter, P., Russo, R. & Fitzgerald, P.B.  (2009).  Reduced cortico-motor facilitation in a normal sample with high traits of autism.  Neuroscience Letters 467(2):173-7.

Cooper, N.R., Uller, C., Pettifer, J. & Stolc, F.C. (2009). Conditioning attentional skills: Examining the effects of the pace of television editing on children's attention.  Acta Paediatrica 98: 1651-55.

Fitzgerald PB, Mellow TB, Hoy KE, Segrave R, Cooper N, Upton DJ, Croft RJ. (2009). A Study of Intensity Dependence of the Auditory Evoked Potential (IDAEP) in Medicated Melancholic and Non-Melancholic Depression.Journal of Affective Disorders 117(3): 212-216.

Cooper, N.R., Puzzo, I & Pawley, A.D.  (2008).  Contagious yawning: The mirror neuron system may be a candidate physiological mechanism. Medical Hypotheses 71: 975-976.

Cooper, N.R., Fitzgerald, P. B., Croft, R.J., Upton, D.J., Segrave, R.A., Daskalakis, Z.J. & Kulkarni, J. (2008).  Effects of rTMS on an auditory oddball task: a pilot study of cortical plasticity and the EEG. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience 39 (3): 139-143.

Fitzgerald, P.B., Daskalakis, Z.J., Hoy, K., Farzan, F., Upton, D.J., Cooper, N.R. & Maller, J.J.  (2008).  Cortical inhibition in motor and non-motor regions: a combined TMS-EEG study.  Clinical EEG and Neuroscience 39 (3): 112-117.

Cooper, N.R., Burgess, A.P., Croft, R.J. & Gruzelier, J.H.  (2006).  Investigating evoked and induced electroencephalogram activity in task-related alpha power increases during internally directed attention. NeuroReport 17 (2), 205-208.

Croft, R. J., Chandler, J. S., Barry, R. J., Cooper, N. & Clarke, A. (2005).  EOG correction: A comparison of four methods.  Psychophysiology 42(1), 16-24.

Cooper, N.R., Croft, R.J., Dominey, S.J.J., Burgess, A.P. & Gruzelier, J.H.  (2003). Paradox Lost? Exploring the role of alpha oscillations during externally versus internally directed attention and the implications for idling and inhibition hypotheses. International Journal of Psychophysiology 47, 65-74.

Vernon, D., Egner, T., Cooper, N., Compton, T., Neilands, C., Sheri, A., & Gruzelier, J. (2003). The effect of training distinct neurofeedback protocols on aspects of cognitive performance. International Journal of Psychophysiology 47, 75-85.