Dr Jon Silas

My research interests are in the field of cognitive neuroscience and with my collaborators, Dr Alex Jones and Dr Emma Ward, I co-lead the Jones, Silas & Ward Lab. My interests are varied but usually involved in understanding the interaction between neural mechanisms and cognitive processes involved in perception, cognition and social interactions. I have experience in using a variety of neuro-scientific methods including; EEG, TMS, tDCS and fMRI and I have an interest in these methods in and among themselves. I also have a specific interest in the biological and cognitive mechanisms involved in olfactory processing. Whilst cognitive neuroscientist by training, through my ongoing collaboration with Beatrice Allegranti, I have branched into exploring human interaction from feminist perspectives - beginning to examine value laden epistemologies and how they interact with knowledge generation.  

I teach and lead a number of modules in the undergraduate Psychology programmes offered by the Psychology department. My teaching expertise is cognitive and biological psychology and I particularly enjoy teaching methods in cognitive neuroscience.

I am the joint programme leader for the postgraduate programme - Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience. I lead and teach on a module in that programme aimed at providing postgraduate students authentic experience with cognitive neuroscience techniques.

I supervise post-graduate research students both in the MSc by Research in Cognitive Neuroscience and PhD students. Queries from potential PhD students are welcomed.

I am also one of two Director of Programmes in the department that lead on teaching and curriculum development in Psychology.