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Michael Ewbank

Research Staff, Emotion Group

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Michael Ewbank

Contact details

E-mail address: michael.ewbank@mrc-cbu.cam.ac.uk
Telephone: +44 (0)1223 355294 (extension 682)
Direct line: +44 (0)1223 273794
Fax: +44 (0)1223 359062
Address: MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit,
15 Chaucer Road,
Cambridge,
CB2 7EF

Research areas

The key features of the visual system are its hierarchical structure and the reciprocal nature of connections between different visual areas. I am interested in understanding how the brain represents complex-objects within this hierarchy and how connectivity between different areas underlies the process of perception.

I use fMRI-adaptation (or repetition suppression) paradigms to probe the response properties of category-selective regions in occipitotemporal cortex. Although adaptation is considered a general property of almost all neural systems, there is little understanding of the mechanisms that underlie it, particularly in fMRI. My work investigates how changes in brain connectivity may underlie adaptation effects, and what adaptation can tell us about the general mechanisms underlying brain function. In addition, I am interested in understanding how differences in adaptation are associated with behaviour in both "typical" and clinical populations.

My work also focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying the perception of different social signals, such as facial expression and gaze. Through the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging, I investigate how neural systems implicated in processing facial signals of threat (such as angry and fearful facial expressions) are influenced by differences in personality traits, such as anxiety. I also address the way in which different facial cues (e.g. eye gaze and expression) interact during face perception.

Selected Publications

Ewbank, MP, Henson,RN, Rowe, JB, Stoyanova RS, Calder AJ. (In Press) Different neural mechanisms within occipitotemporal cortex underlie repetition suppression across same and different size faces. Cerebral Cortex .pdf

Ewbank, MP. (2011) Adaptation studies suggest interactive feedback shapes responses in occipitotemporal regions. Cognitive Neuroscience, 2, (3-4) 205-206. .pdf

Calder AJ, Ewbank, MP, Passamonti, L. (2011). Personality influences the neural response to viewing facial signals of emotion. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 366(1751) 1684-1701. .pdf

Ewbank, MP, Lawson, RP, Henson,RN, Rowe, JB, Passamonti, L, Calder AJ. (2011) Changes in 'top-down' connectivity underlie repetition suppression in the ventral visual pathway. Journal of Neuroscience, 31(15), 5635-5642. .pdf

Stoyanova RS, Ewbank, MP & Calder AJ. (2010) "You talkin' to me?": Self-relevant auditory signals influence perception of gaze direction. Psychological Science, 21(12), 1765-1769. .pdf

Ewbank MP, Fox E & Calder AJ. (2010) The interaction between gaze and facial expression in the amygdala and extended amygdala is modulated by anxiety. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 4(56). .pdf

Ewbank MP, Jennings C & Calder AJ. (2009) Why are you always angry with me? Facial expressions influence perception of gaze direction. Journal of Vision, 9(12), 1 -7. .pdf

Ewbank MP, Barnard PJ, Ramponi, C, Croucher CJ & Calder AJ. (2009) The amygdala response to images with impact. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 4, 127-133..pdf

Ewbank MP, Lawrence AD, Passamonti L, Keane J, Peers PV. & Calder, AJ. (2009) Anxiety predicts a differential neural response to attended and unattended facial signals of anger and fear. NeuroImage, 44, 1144-1151 .pdf

Ewbank MP & Andrews TJ (2008). Differential sensitivity for viewpoint between familiar and unfamiliar faces in human visual cortex. NeuroImage, 40, 1857-1870 .pdf

Ewbank MP, Smith WAP, Hancock ER, Andrews TJ (2008). The M170 reflects a viewpoint dependent representation for both familiar and unfamiliar faces. Cerebral Cortex, 18, 364-370 .pdf

Ewbank MP, Schluppeck D, Andrews TJ (2005). FMR-adaptation reveals a distributed representation of inanimate objects and places in human visual cortex, NeuroImage 28:268–279 .pdf

Andrews TJ, Ewbank MP (2004). Distinct representations for facial identity and changeable aspects of faces in human visual cortex, NeuroImage 23:905–913 .pdf

CBU publications

  • EWBANK, M.P., HENSON, R., ROWE, J.B., STOYANOVA, R.S. & CALDER, A.J. (In Press) Different neural mechanisms within occipitotemporal cortex underlie repetition suppression across same and different-size faces., Cerebral Cortex #
  • CALDER, A.J. EWBANK, M., & Passamonti, L. (2011) Personality Influences the Neural Responses to Viewing Facial Expressions of Emotion, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 366(1571), 1684-1701 #
  • EWBANK, M.P (2011) Adaptation studies suggest interactive feedback shapes responses in occipitotemporal regions., Cognitive Neuroscience 2(3-4), 205-206 #
  • EWBANK, M.P., HENSON, R.N., ROWE, J.B. & CALDER, A.J. (2011) Different neural mechanisms underlie repetition suppression to facial identity for same-size and different-size faces in the occipitotemporal lobe, Annual meeting of the Vision Sciences Society, Naples, Florida, USA, May, 2011. #
  • EWBANK, M.P., Lawson, R.P, HENSON, R.N., ROWE, J.B., Passamonti, L. & CALDER, A.J. (2011) Changes in 'top-down' connectivity underlie repetition suppression in the ventral visual pathway, Journal of Neuroscience, 31(15), 5635-5642. #
  • STOYANOVA, R.S., EWBANK, M.P., CALDER, A.J. (2011) pSTS response to gaze reflects wider role in processing ostensive signals in multiple modalities, Annual meeting of the Vision Sciences Society, Naples, Florida, USA, May, 2011 #
  • VON DEM HAGEN, E., Nummenmaa, L., RONGJUN, Y., Engel, A., EWBANK, M. & CALDER, A.J. (2011) Autism Spectrum traits in the typical population predict structure and function in the posterior superior temporal sulcus, Cerebral Cortex, 21(3), 493-500 #
  • EWBANK, M.P., Fox, E., CALDER, A.J. (2010) The Interaction between gaze and facial expression in the amygdala and extended amygdala is modulated by anxiety., Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 4:56 #
  • LAWSON, R.P., EWBANK, M.P., HENSON, R.N., CALDER, A.J. (2010) Does your EBA response to my bum look big? Differential sensitivity to body orientation in the extrastriate body area, Journal of Vision, 10(7), 686 #
  • STOYANOVA, R., EWBANK, M. & CALDER, A.J. (2010) You Must Be Looking at Me: The Influence of Auditory Signals on the Perception of Gaze, Vision Sciences Society Meeting, Florida, USA #
  • STOYANOVA, R., EWBANK, M. & CALDER, A.J. (2010) Auditory Self-Relevance and the Perception of Gaze, Meeting of the Experimental Psychology Society, Granada, Spain #
  • STOYANOVA, R., EWBANK, M. & CALDER, A.J. (2010) You talkin' to me? Self-relevant auditory signals influence perception of gaze direction, Psychological Science, 21(12), 1765-1769 #
  • EWBANK, M.P., BARNARD, P.J., Croucher, C.J., RAMPONI, C. and CALDER, A.J (2009) The amygdala response to images with impact, Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 4(2), 127-133. #
  • EWBANK, M.P., Fox, E., CALDER, A.J. (2009) The role of eye gaze and anxiety on the amygdala response to angry and fearful faces., 3rd Annual Meeting of the Social and Affective Neuroscience Society, New York #
  • EWBANK, M.P., Jennings, C., CALDER, A.J. (2009) Why are you angry with me? Facial expressions of threat influence perception of gaze direction., Journal of Vision, 9(12), 16, 1 -7 #
  • EWBANK, M.P., Lawrence, A.D., PASSAMONTI, L. KEANE, J., PEERS, P. & CALDER, A.J. (2009) Anxiety predicts a differential neural response to attended and unattended facial signals of anger and fear, NeuroImage, 44(3), 1144-1151 #
  • PASSAMONTI, L., ROWE, J.B., EWBANK, M., HAMPSHIRE, A., KEANE, J. & CALDER, A.J. (2009) Connectivity from the ventral anterior cingulate to the amygdala is modulated by appetitive motivation in response to facial signals of aggression, NeuroImage, 15, 43(3), 562–570 #
  • PASSAMONTI, L., ROWE, J.B., SCHWARZBAUER, C., EWBANK, M.P., , VON DEM HAGEN, E. & CALDER, A.J. (2009) Personality Predicts the Brain's Response to Viewing Appetizing Foods: The Neural Basis of a Risk Factor for Overeating, Journal of Neuroscience, 29(1), 43-51 #
  • STOYANOVA, R., EWBANK, M. & CALDER, A.J. (2009) Emotion perception from body, face & voice, International Society for Research on Emotion (Leuven, Belgium), August 2009 #
  • VON DEM HAGEN, E., Beaver, J.D., EWBANK, M.P., KEANE, J., PASSAMONTI, L., Lawrence, A.D. & CALDER, A.J. (2009) Leaving a bad taste in your mouth but not in my insula, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 4(4), 379-386 #
  • VON DEM HAGEN, E., Nummenmaa, L., RONGJUN, Y., EWBANK, M. & CALDER, A.J. (2009) Autism Spectrum traits in healthy adults predict changes in structure and BOLD response in superior temporal sulcus, Sixteenth Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting, F32 #
  • EWBANK, M.P., Lawrence, A.D., PASSAMONTI, L. KEANE, J. & Andrew J. Calder. (2008) The influence of attention and anxiety on the neural response to facial signals of fear and aggression, Experiment Psychology Society Meeting, Cambridge, April 2008 #
  • EWBANK, M.P., Nummenmaa, L., CALDER, A.J. (2008) The role of eye gaze and anxiety on the amygdala response to angry and fearful faces, 10th International Conference in Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON X) #
  • PASSAMONTI, L., ROWE, J.B., SCHWARZBAUER, C. & EWBANK, M.P. (2008) Visually induced appetite: Identifying the neural basis of a risk factor for overeating, 10th International Conference in Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON X) #
  • VON DEM HAGEN, E.A., Yu R., EWBANK, M.P. & CALDER, A.J. (2008) Autism quotient predicts variation in resting state brain activity in normal individuals, 10th International Conference in Cognitive Neuroscience (ICON X) #
  • CALDER, A.J., EWBANK, M.P., RAMPONI, C. & BARNARD, P.J. (2007) 'Visual impact’ predicts the amygdala response to emotional images, Proceedings of the 37th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience #
  • EWBANK, M.P., Lawrence, A.D., PASSAMONTI, L., KEANE, J. & CALDER, A.J. (2007) Differential effects of anxiety and attention on amygdala response to facial signals of fear and aggression, Proceedings of the 37th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience #
  • PASSAMONTI, L., ROWE, J., EWBANK, M., ,KEANE, J., Fera, FERA. & CALDER, A.J. (2007) Individual variations in behavioural activation system (BAS) predict prefrontal cortex-amygdala coupling during emotional processing, Proceedings of the 37th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience #
  • VON DEM HAGEN, E., Beaver, J.D., Lawrence, A.D, EWBANK, M.P. & CALDER, A.J. (2007) fMRI reveals two distinct neural substrates for the processing of facial expressions of ‘core’ and ‘human’ disgust, Proceedings of the 37th annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience #