In September, just in time for the new academic year, we welcomed Dr Carl Hodgetts as a new Lecturer in the Department of Psychology. We look forward to learning more about his work into the brain, memory, and navigation!
What made you choose Psychology at Royal Holloway?
Royal Holloway has an amazing reputation for both research and teaching. As my research brings together a few different areas (memory, perception, genetics, neuropsychology), it was important to be in a department with great facilities (MRI, virtual reality) and a mix of expertise. I was also blown away by how supportive, open and inclusive the department felt when I visited.
Tell us a little about the research you will carry out at RHUL?
I am interested in the brain networks and representations that underpin how we remember and navigate the world. What is the role of the hippocampus in memory? How does the brain carve experience into distinct "events" or “episodes”? How do individual differences in how we remember relate to different networks in the brain? Finally, how are these brain circuits affected as we grow old, or in disease?
At RHUL, I aim to use a range of tools to answer these questions, including functional MRI to look at brain activity, and diffusion MRI to look at the white matter connections between brain areas.
What do you think will be the best part about teaching our students?
One of the best parts of being a scientist is supporting students and junior researchers, and allowing their curiosity to flourish. There will be plenty of opportunities to work in my lab (e.g., UG projects and research placements), so please drop me an email if you would like to get involved!
Read more about Carl's research here.
