Dr Harriet Dempsey-Jones
Me (and my brain)
My name is Harriet, I am a researcher interested in how our brains change as a result of our daily life experiences. I completed my PhD at the University of Queensland (Australia), and have since worked in the UK at both Oxford University and University College London.
I am also a keen communicator of science. I like nothing more than finding out about what scientists chat about around the proverbial water-cooler, and spreading these facts out to the world. I have written regularly for The Conversation UK, and am a freelance writer for Psychology Today (check the ‘Articles’ page for more). Sometimes I also get out from behind my computer – particularly to participate in public engagement of science programs, like the In2Science Program, Brain Awareness Week, Oxford Neuroscience Day and more.
My favourite topics to write about are anything in the realms of neuroscience, sensory perception, imaging of the human brain, and futuristic tech to augment the human body (e.g., prostheses, Brain Machine Interface).
When wearing my researcher hat, I look at how our daily experience changes our brains. I do this by looking at what happens when we *add* information to the system, e.g., when you stimulate the senses, or provide sensory training to enhance sensory perception. I also look at what happens when you *remove* input, e.g., when a limb is amputated, or sensation is removed with anaesthetic (see the ‘Academic’ page for more).
Harriet Dempsey-Jones 