People
Ediz Sohoglu (Principal Investigator)
I obtained my PhD on the cognitive neuroscience of speech perception in 2013, supervised by Matt Davis at the University of Cambridge. Following a short postdoc funded by the MRC Centenary Award, I moved to UCL for further postdoctral work with Maria Chait and then Tim Griffiths exploring auditory scene analysis. I joined Sussex in 2019 as a Lecturer in Psychology, having previously been a Sussex undergraduate in Neuroscience (2003-2006).
Email: E.Sohoglu@sussex.ac.uk
Read more about Ediz Sohoglu
Ellie Ambridge (PhD student)
In 2020, I completed my undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Surrey. During my studies, I found myself drawn towards the more biological and cognition-based aspects of Psychology. These interests aligned with the Cognitive Neuroscience MSc offered at the University of Sussex, which I completed in 2021. Having completed my master’s, I was asked to assist with teaching some second-year undergraduate Psychology modules during 2021/2022, these were: 1) Discovering Statistics, and 2) Qualitative and Quantitative Methods. I am due to begin my PhD studies under the supervision of Dr Sohoglu in September 2022. We will simulate what cochlear implants users hear by the use of artificial degraded speech. We are aiming to investigate how the brain may learn, adapt, and process these speech sounds via the use of electroencephalography and advanced statistical methods.
Ellie's PhD is part-funded by the Academy of Medical Sciences for a project entitled 'Learning to hear again: Brain mechanisms supporting perceptual learning of degraded speech'
Email: E.Ambridge@sussex.ac.uk
Dominic West (PhD student)
I first came to Sussex as an undergraduate student in 2018 and graduated with an integrated master’s degree in neuroscience with cognitive science in 2023. My master’s dissertation project used a novel EEG strobe-light feedback system to selectively enhance or suppress brain waves.
My research interests lie at the intersection of sensory perception, attention, and consciousness studies. I am particularly interested in how our everyday sensory experience maps onto reality. In my PhD project I am investigating how the brain predicts speech sounds during language comprehension, in particular when attention is focused elsewhere, using experimental data and language models.
Dominic's PhD is funded by the be.AI Leverhulme Doctoral Scholarship scheme.
Email: dsw27@sussex.ac.uk
Connnor Doyle (Research Assistant)
I joined the Auditory Cognition Group as a research assistant in 2022, after completing an MPhil in Basic and Translational Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge. My MPhil research utilized MEG and EEG to examine the brain mechanisms supporting speech perception, specifically investigating how misinformative prior knowledge can cause misperceptions of degraded single words. In my current project, I am expanding on this work by using more naturalistic audiobook stimuli to probe the neural computations underlying real-world speech perception.
Connor's position is funded by the BIAL foundation for a project entitled 'Predicting the future to make sense of the present: Predictive brain mechanisms for speech perception'
Email: C.D.Doyle@sussex.ac.uk
Megan Dodds (Research Assistant)
I joined the Auditory Cognition Lab as a placement student in 2023, having completed my first 2 years of study as a Psychology Undergraduate at the University of Sussex. In my first year I completed a Cognitive Science elective which influenced my interest in the field. Learning about auditory effects such as the McGurk Illusion, plus the models and explanations for how the brain processes and understands speech, encouraged me to join the lab. Following my graduation, I plan to apply for an MSc in Cognitive Psychology. I’d also like to use what I have learnt from this role in future Research Assistant roles in a similar field.
Email: md659@sussex.ac.uk
Alumni
James Webb (PhD student)
I completed my PhD ('Perceptual learning and predictive coding of degraded speech') in December 2023. My PhD focused on ways in which successful comprehension of degraded speech is made possible by processes associated with perceptual learning and prediction. By manipulating speech in the modulation domain, I examined whether perceptual learning occurs at a stage of acoustic processing in which the critical stimulus dimensions involve spectral and temporal modulations. Furthermore, through manipulation of speech modulations, I explored the mechanisms that support perceptual learning in multi-talker environments. In the other part of my PhD research I explored how the brain exploits prior knowledge to foster accurate speech perception. I used EEG, in combination with Temporal Response Function analysis, to examine the neural implementation of predictive processes. Results were uniquely consistent with a Prediction Error account, suggesting that prediction error computations are a central feature of cortical speech processing.
Viviana Tarnowska (Research Assistant)
I have joined the Auditory Cognition Lab as a placement student in 2022. Studying Psychology at the University of Sussex, I quickly became interested in the biological underpinnings of human nature. After learning about the cocktail party effect during one of the first lectures in my first year, investigating how the brain processes sounds and speech became of particular interest to me. Following my graduation, I am planning on undertaking a PhD in cognitive neuroscience and experimental psychology.
Join Us!
If you are interested in joining our group as a PhD student, fully funded studentships can be applied for through the School of Psychology or the Sussex Neuroscience programme. Studentships are normally advertised during October-December each year. If you are interested in applying, please get in touch with Dr. Ediz Sohoglu (E.Sohoglu@sussex.ac.uk) outlining your research interests.