People

Professor Miguel Maravall (he/him): Director

I study how neurons work together to make sense of patterns in our environment when these vary over time. I measure the behaviour of mice and humans in sensory tasks and use a variety of tools to measure neuronal activity.

As a Director of Sussex Neuroscience my aim is to maintain a close-knit community where members with diverse interests feel supported to do their very best work.

Telephone: +44 (0)1273 877263
Email: m.maravall@sussex.ac.uk

See Miguel's profile.

Professor Louise Serpell (she/her): Director

I study the causes of neurodegeneration in conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease. I am particularly interested in understanding the role for protein misfolding in disease.

As a Director of Sussex Neuroscience, my aim is for Sussex Neuroscience to be an excellent place to do exceptional neuroscience research in an inclusive, supportive environment. As a previous School lead for Athena SWAN, my ambition is to ensure the equality, diversity and inclusivity of our research environment, providing a supportive place for everyone to excel.

Telephone: +44 (0)1273 877363
Email: l.c.serpell@sussex.ac.uk

See Louise's profile.

Professor Chris Bird (he/him): Director

I study the psychological and neural processes that underpin how we remember our everyday experiences and how these processes go wrong in the context of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurological conditions.

As a Director of Sussex Neuroscience I want to help neuroscience researchers to flourish in their endeavours and to support the vibrant, fun and supportive community that we have at Sussex.

Telephone: +44 (0)1273 876816
Email: chris.bird@sussex.ac.uk

See Chris' profile.

Dr Ruth Staras (she/her): Programme Manager

I develop and manage core activities for Sussex Neuroscience, including the 4-year PhD Programme, research events and external partnerships. I am also a member of teaching faculty, convening the Neuroscience MSc and MRes degrees.

Overall my work aims to support a thriving and sociable research community across Sussex Neuroscience with innovative, interdisciplinary opportunities for postgraduate training and career development.

Telephone: +44 (0)1273 877660
Email: r.staras@sussex.ac.uk

See Ruth's profile.

Gabrielle Minkley-Barnes: Senior Research Project Officer

I work to support the Sussex Neuroscience community with public engagement events, internal and external communications and project management of our cross-cutting activities.

As the first point of contact, I'm here to answer all your questions about the dynamic work of Sussex Neuroscience. 

Email: G.Minkley-Barnes@Sussex.ac.uk

Dr Andre Maia Chagas

I develop and maintain scientific and education tools for Sussex Neuroscience. This goes from small repairs of existing equipment to the development of new tools tailored to a certain set of experiments.

One particularity of this work is that all the tools being developed can be freely copied, replicated and improved by anyone, as their building plans are released online under open source licenses. A rationale on why I produce open tools can be found in this opinion piece.

Telephone: +44 (0)1273 678846
Email: a.maia-chagas@sussex.ac.uk

See Andre's profile

Dr Chris Racey

I am a cognitive neuroscientist with a background in fMRI and low level vision. I study how colour is represented in the brain.

As a research technician for cognitive and clinical neuroscience, my role is to facilitate brain imaging research throughout Sussex Neuroscience. I help researchers with designing and building experimental paradigms, organising and analysing data. I manage the Human Psychophysiology Lab (HPL). I develop computing infrastructure and neuroimaging analysis pipelines, provide training and knowledge retention for advanced computational methods. I also run the Cognitive Neuroscience and Imaging seminar series (CNI) with a goal of fostering a sense of community across all neuroscience disciplines.

Telephone: +44 (0)1273 877551
Email: c.racey@sussex.ac.uk

See Chris' profile