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Lecturer in Neuroscience, Faculty of Science
I received my PhD in behavioural neuroscience from McGill University, Canada in 2004. That year I also received a Marie Curie Fellowship from the EU to conduct post-doctoral research in the School of Biomedical Sciences here at the University of Nottingham. In 2006 I received a Young Investigator from NARSAD to continue this work. After a short spell at De Montfort University I returned to the University of Nottingham in 2008 to take up a Lectureship in Neuroscience at Sutton Bonington Campus in the School of Biosciences.
I have extensive experience with rodent behavioural testing, stereotaxic surgery, systemic and central drug infusion, in vivo voltammetry, in vivo electrophysiology and ex vivo neurochemical quantification methods.
I teach on various modules of the BSc Animal Sciences and other courses in the School of Biosciences:
Coordinated Physiological Functions (Module Convenor)
Regulation and Organisation in Animals
Whole Organism Biology
Neurophysiology and Pharmacology
Systems Neurophysiology
We are interested in understanding how functional connectivity between brain regions which mediate cognition and emotion are involved in emotional memory processing. Different brain regions have… read more
We are interested in understanding how functional connectivity between brain regions which mediate cognition and emotion are involved in emotional memory processing. Different brain regions have distinct roles in specific aspects of fear learning and memory. However, certain inter-connected regions show common functions related to remembering learned fear, suggesting the involvement of functional interactions between these brain areas. Understanding how these areas interact during fear learning and memory may lead to novel insights on brain function underlying cognition and emotion as well as brain dysfunction in fear-related psychiatric disorders (e.g. anxiety). Our research is conducted in collaboration with colleagues in the School of Biomedical Sciences and at the University of York.
My doctoral research investigated central dopamine system interactions in brain regions involved in cognition and emotion. Dopamine plays an important role in various aspects of behaviour and altered dopamine transmission is involved in the pathophysiology of psychiatric disease. I examined the relationship between dopamine neurotransmission in different brain areas in response to stress and during various types of cognitive processing.
My post-doctoral research investigated the 'programming' of later cognition, emotion and brain function by the early rearing environment. Early adversity increases the risk of developing psychiatric disease later in life. Early life is a crucial time for nervous system development and insults during this critical period can permanently alter brain function and behaviour. I examined the effects of early life stress on later emotional memory processing and brain function in areas involved in cognition and emotion. I am keen to continue investigating early environmental programming of later brain function and behaviour.
In collaboration with colleagues in the School of Mathematical Sciences we will use our experimental data to develop novel mathematical simulations of brain region interactions during emotional memory processing. These simulations will in turn generate testable hypotheses on the nature of brain region interactions underlying emotional memory processing.
University of NottinghamSutton Bonington Campus Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5RD
telephone: +44 (0) 115 951 6100 email: sheila.northover@nottingham.ac.uk