معرفی
Dr. Sophie Forster is an Associate Professor and Reader in Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Sussex's School of Psychology, where she leads the Sussex Attention Lab. Her research focuses on attentional mechanisms, particularly how individuals become distracted by external stimuli or internal thoughts. Key interests include attentional failure, clinical attention disorders (e.g., ADHD), and the interplay between perceptual load and cognitive control. She has held grants from the ESRC, BIAL Foundation, and AHRC, investigating topics like mind-wandering and perceptual decoupling. Teaching roles include courses on attention, clinical cognition, and cognitive psychology. Professional activities include editorial roles at Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance and ESRC peer review.
Education: PhD from University College London (UCL), post-doctoral work at UC Berkeley, and an ESRC fellowship at UCL before joining Sussex in 2013. Research labs and collaborations include the Sussex Attention Lab and cross-disciplinary projects on autism and neurodiversity.
Key research themes: 1) Attentional capture and distraction, 2) Mind-wandering and its cognitive consequences, 3) Application of perceptual load theory to clinical contexts (e.g., eating behavior, addiction). Recent grants include studying internal distraction and attentional decoupling mechanisms. Her work bridges cognitive neuroscience, experimental psychology, and clinical applications.
Grants (selected):
- ESRC grant on 'Watching the mind travel' (2022–2024)
- BIAL Foundation grant on perceptual decoupling (2023–2024)
- AHRC project on autism and art engagement (2023–2024)
Teaching focuses on third-year 'Attention: Distraction, daydreaming and diversity' and second-year 'Cognitive Psychology'. Office hours include drop-in sessions via bookable appointments.
