Aidan J Horner

Aidan J Horner is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of York. He holds a BSc in Psychology (2005) and MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience (2006) from the University of York, followed by a PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Cambridge (2010). His career includes postdoctoral research at Otto-von-Guericke University (2010–2011) and University College London (2011–2016), and a visiting scholar position at Stanford University (2008). He returned to York as a Lecturer in 2016, advancing to Senior Lecturer and his current Professorship.

Research Focus: Horner’s work examines how the brain encodes and retrieves long-term memories, particularly spatial and event-based information. He employs experimental psychology, virtual reality, neuroimaging (e.g., fMRI, MEG), and computational modeling to study hippocampal and cortical mechanisms underlying memory formation, consolidation, and forgetting. His recent studies explore the role of theta oscillations in memory binding, the impact of emotion on memory coherence, and forgetting dynamics.

Publications & Awards: Over 50 peer-reviewed articles, including high-impact work in Current Biology, Nature Communications, and Cognition. Recognized with the Annual Cognitive Paper Prize Award (2022) for groundbreaking contributions to memory research.

Grants & Projects: Lead investigator on ESRC-funded projects (e.g., "Promoting rapid and sustained learning of novel information", 2018–2022). Collaborates with institutions like the York Neuroimaging Centre (YNiC) to advance neuroimaging techniques in cognitive studies.

Labs & Teams: Affiliated with the York Neuroimaging Centre (YNiC), integrating neuroimaging with behavioral and computational approaches to memory systems. Active in interdisciplinary teams studying memory plasticity and cognitive neuroscience.