Nicholas S. Bland

Email: n.bland@uq.edu.au

Phone: +61 412 650 661

Supervisors

Dr. Martin Sale (primary)

Professor Jason Mattingley

Current research

The application of transcranial alternating current stimulation aims to entrain neural oscillations to the rhythm of the applied current. It is thus a powerful tool to modulate the phase and frequency of endogenous neural oscillations observed with functional neuroimaging, allowing neural correlates to be tested for their causal roles in cognitive processes. To this end, my research employs tACS to manipulate neural oscillations in a phase- and frequency-specific manner (as measured by EEG) to disrupt or enhance communication between distant brain modules.

Research interests

• How can non-invasive brain stimulation inform models of decision-making?
• How can NIBS be used to establish causal roles for the phases and frequencies of neural oscillations observed using functional neuroimaging?
• How do the relative phases of neural oscillations contribute to multisensory integration and our perceptions of the world?
• How can coherence between distant brain modules activate and moderate functional and effective neural networks?

Published Papers

Bland, N., Mattingley, J., Sale, M. (2018). No evidence for phase-specific effects of 40 Hz HD-tACS on multiple object tracking. Frontiers in Psychology. 9: 304