Research

Throughout my enquiry-driven academic and research career, I have focussed around two fundamental questions:

What is the Universe made of? I examine this through Natural Sciences (Mathematical, Physical, Chemical and Life Sciences)
What is Mind and Consciousness? I examine this through research in Consciousness Studies and Cognitive Science (Cognitive Neuroscience, Philosophy of Science, Philosophy of Mind, Cognitive Psychology, Mind-body Medicine, Artificial Intelligence and Neuroimaging)

When it comes to the mysteries of understanding the human mind, I begin by asking very fundamental questions! How do we think and feel? Why? How do we become conscious of our thoughts and feelings?

What is the relationship between mind and brain?

How can the activity of neurons result in mental experience?

What can neuroscience tell us about the nature of consciousness?

How are carbon-based (human) brains different from silicon-based (artificial) brains?

For fundamental research, it is important to understand:

What is the evidence for 'X'?
What counts as credible evidence?

My research focus has been on how the brain extracts information from the environment, makes it a dream-like reality (that we see, perceive) and then we act upon that reality (action). In recent years, my projects explored a variety of topics such as neural correlates of consciousness, visual perception, attention, computational linguistics, brain dynamics of threat (fear and disgust), meditation and mindfulness, behavioural and neuro-economics, social perception, objectification and violent behaviour, psychology of eating, consumer behaviour and neuroscience in marketing and behavioural insights.

As we study a subjective phenomenon (human/animal minds are essentially that), it is important to get a multi-perspective grasp on the mind-body problem. To that end, I have used the causal (TMS/tES) and correlational (fMRI, M/EEG, EEG) measures, as well as first-person (subjective) methods like questionnaires.

Objectively, I also perform a careful deconstruction of behaviour (eye movements, hand movements, response times and accuracy), in addition to measuring 'brain activity' with millisecond resolution in the time domain using Electro-Encephalo-Graphy (EEG) and Magneto-Encephalo-Graphy (MEG), and millimeter resolution in the spatial/anatomical domain - using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). I also use non-invasive (magnetic and electrical) neurostimulation methods (TMS/tES).

In the applied context, I examine:

How social information is acted upon, under conditions of ambiguity/uncertainty and risk?
How people perceive (and mis-perceive) information and act in a group, and resulting implications for social, political and business environments?

Electromagnetic field changes as a proxy of brain activity

Applying electrical stimulation to the brain non-invasively

Location of activity in the brain