Timothy Behrens MEng DPhil

MRC Fellow in Computational Biology, University Research Lecturer
I have two main research interests. The first is in understanding anatomical brain connectivity (the paths of the wires" that connect different regions of the brain). The second is in understanding learning and decision-making in the human and macaque brains from a computational perspective. "
Web Personal Website
Department Department of Experimental Psychology

My connectivity research has focussed on understanding the connections between different brain regions using a technique called diffusion-weighted MRI. This technique has allowed the first window into anatomical brain connectivity in the living human brain. Myself and my colleague Dr. Heidi Johansen Berg run the FMRIB connectivity group. I have developed novel techniques for understanding the connectivity information available in diffusion MRI data (Behrens et al MRM 2003, Neuroimage 2007), that are now used worldwide. These techniques allowed us to be the first group to demonstrate connections between grey matter regions in the living human brain (Behrens et al Nature Neuroscience 2003). We have gone on to develop new techniques for understanding the influence that anatomical connectivity patterns have on functional specialisation in grey matter (Johansen Berg et al . PNAS 2004, Behrens et al. Phil. Trans. Royal Soc. 2005).

My recent learning and decision-making research has focussed on understanding the computational algorithms that are employed in human learning, and how they affect human behaviour. Together with Dr. Matthew Rushworth, I have concentrated on how recent information is combined with our historical experiences. We have shown that a key computational parameter for performing this task optimally is coded in the Anterior Cingulate Cortex in the course of learning (Behrens et al. Nature Neuroscience 2007) and that removal of this ACC region causes a specific deficit in this aspect of learning (Kennerley et al. Nature Neuroscience 2006).




Sources of Funding

Biography

I come from a computational background (having studied Information Engineering as an undergraduate at Oxford). I did a Dphil at the FMRIB centre focussing on deveoping new methods for understanding the data from the (then) very new technique: diffusion imaging. During my DPhil, I moved my research focus to the boundary of computational methods and Nueroscience, publishing both in methods and Neuroscience journals, but all on the topic of diffusion imaging. During my first post-doc, I continued with my interest in diffusion imaging and brain connectional anatomy, and I obtained a grant from the Dr. Hadwen trust with Dr. Johansen Berg, to employ a post-doc in this field. I also became interested in the computaional methods employed by the brain to solve everyday problems. I obtained a fellowship from the MRC to perform combined computation, behavioural and neuroimaging experiments in reward-based learning and decision-making.