معرفی
Joe Butler is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Sunderland, based at the Helen McArdle Nursing and Care Institute. His research focuses on attention and memory processes as they operate in health and disease, with particular emphasis on developing diagnostic tools for Alzheimer's Disease. He completed his PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience at Bangor University under the supervision of Giovanni d'Avossa and Robert Rafal, investigating the effect of expectations and exogenous effects on attentional orienting.
Dr. Butler's research interests include visual attention, temporal attention, memory processes, eye-tracking methodologies, and EEG/ERPs. His work bridges cognitive neuroscience with clinical applications, particularly in the diagnosis of neurodegenerative conditions. He leads the Binding in Neuropsychiatric Disorders (B.I.N.D) research group alongside Dr. Tamlyn Watermeyer and Dr. Mario Parra, which focuses on developing assessment tools for early detection of Alzheimer's disease and memory binding research.
His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on digital biomarkers for Alzheimer's assessment, virtual reality cognitive screening, and the application of AI algorithms in detecting cognitive decline. The research trends show progression from fundamental attention and memory mechanisms to applied clinical tools for dementia diagnosis.
- Co-supervises Vinod Ramakrishnan's PhD on fatigue perception with Dr. Hans-Peter Kubis and Professor Paul Mullins at Bangor University
- Collaborates with Professor Charles Leek (Liverpool) and Dr. Irene Reppa (Swansea) on stress effects on attention systems
- Conducts research on effort perception and fatigue involving fMRI, eye-tracking and behavioral methods
Dr. Butler teaches on several psychology modules including PSY381 Professional Practice, PSY270 Assessment, Formulation and Evidence-Based Practice, and PSY141 Introduction to Mental Health and Illness. His research has been featured in media coverage regarding Alzheimer's research at Sunderland University.
