'Premembering' perception in the human brain

Professor Nobre studies the neural systems that support cognitive functions in the human brain. She is particularly interested in the influence of memory on perception. Memories are essential for bringing together fragments of past experiences, but they are equally important for guiding predictions that help create new sensory experiences. Professor Nobre has dubbed this process 'premembering'. During her award she plans to examine how memory-based expectations combine with current task goals to shape neural activity in anticipation of perceptual events unfolding in dynamic environments. She plans to elucidate the psychological and neural mechanisms of premembering using a range of experimental techniques, including psychophysics, magnetoencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging and transcranial magnetic stimulation.