RG Brain stimulation, neuroplasticity and learning

Our research group investigates the mechanisms underlying brain plasticity, with a particular focus on individual variability in the neural circuits supporting learning and memory, and how this variability contributes to the development and maintenance of chronic pain.

A core focus of the group is developing approaches to improve the reliability and quality of structural and functional MRI data. Building on this methodological foundation, we combine neuroimaging with psychometric assessments of personality traits, behavioural factors, and clinical characteristics, as well as neurophysiological techniques such as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), to study pain-related cortical networks and pain processing mechanisms. Using this multimodal approach, we aim to identify the mechanisms driving maladaptive plasticity in patients with chronic pain, and to promote beneficial forms of neuroplasticity.