Alex Clarke

Dr. Alex Clarke is a Sir Henry Dale Fellow and Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Speech, Language, and the Brain (CSLB) within the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge. His research investigates neural mechanisms of perception, semantic memory, and episodic memory using multimodal neuroimaging techniques including MEG, EEG, and fMRI.

Clarke's work centers on how the brain dynamically transforms visual inputs into semantic representations and how neural oscillations support memory retrieval. He examines the influence of real-world context on object recognition, top-down processing in perception, and the spatiotemporal dynamics of language comprehension. His research frequently bridges laboratory findings with naturalistic environments through mobile EEG and mixed reality paradigms.

Recent publications reveal strong emphasis on contextual modulation of neural activity, with particular focus on low-frequency oscillations during memory tasks and semantic processing in the anterior temporal lobe. His methodological innovations in real-world neuroscience demonstrate consistent exploration of how prior scene context shapes object recognition and memory formation.

Scientific awards include:

• Sir Henry Dale Fellowship (Royal Society/Wellcome Trust)

Funded by his prestigious fellowship, Clarke leads an independent research program examining spatiotemporal neural dynamics. While no current advisees are listed, his work involves collaboration with CSLB researchers on projects spanning semantic memory, perception, and memory retrieval mechanisms.

Clarke is a core member of the Centre for Speech, Language, and the Brain (CSLB), a multidisciplinary hub integrating psychology, neuroscience, and linguistics to study communication and cognition. His lab employs mobile neuroimaging techniques to investigate cognitive processes in ecologically valid settings, with recent work focusing on body ownership effects in autobiographical memory and goal-oriented hippocampal representations.