Dr Christophe De Bezenac PhD (2), MSc, PhD (1), Spécialisation, MMus, DEM

Personal Statement

I am a researcher in cognitive neuroscience with a particular interest in the dynamics of social interaction. Using f/MRI alongside electrophysiological and behavioural methods, my research has focused on self-other action attribution in situations of uncertainty. As such, relevant processes include agency, sensorimotor control, cognitive flexibility and the effects of expectancy and planning on joint action coordination. I am also interested in how related individual differences can shed light on phenomena such as hallucinations and delusions of control.

With the aim of generating insight that can lead to clinical applications that improve patient outcomes, I am currently working with Mersey Care NHS Foundation Trust to develop a system for real-time physiological monitoring of mental health states combining wearable technology and predictive analytics. This work involves the analysis of heart rate patterns, electrodermal activity, eye tracking, body temperature, body movement, free text (e.g., NLP, text mining), and audiovisual data (e.g., emotion prosody; computer vision) using novel signal processing and pattern recognition algorithms. I am, more generally, driven to develop innovative experimental paradigms and analysis techniques that reduce barriers to asking meaningful questions about human behaviour and experience.