The visual world is very complex and we can't possibly process all the information available to us. The healthy adult brain is quickly able to prioritise what information is most relevant to us and our ongoing behaviour and devote resources to processing relevant or important stimuli at the cost less important stimuli. This ability to attend to relevant information is key to successful functioning in such a rich sensory world.  When this essential ability is compromised it can have widespread impacts on everyday life. 

My research is focussed on trying to better understand how difficulties in attention arise, how they impact on everyday lives, and whether through a better understanding of attentional processes we can develop  interventions to support individuals who struggle with their attention.   I  apply models that have been developed to explain normal variability in attentional processes to try to characterise a range of attentional impairments both in adults with brain injuries, and in developmental populations.  I have used this theory driven approach to develop and evaluate tailored interventions that help both patients with brain injuries and  children practise attentional skills.  To get a broad understanding of the impacts of these interventions I have collaborated with Tom Manly, John Duncan, Fionnuala Murphy and Duncan Astle, to examine the effects of our interventions on cognition, well-being and everyday functioning, and gain insights from the individual concerned as well as from family and relevant professionals such as therapists or teachers.  We have been able to demonstrate that these interventions can lead to widespread improvements in well being and everyday functioning suggesting they may be suitable for translation.

I have a great emphasis in my research in translating basic science to the clinic or the classroom. For this to be successful I work extensively with individuals with lived experience, their families, NHS therapists, teachers and SENDCo's at all stages in my research.  This collaborative approach is essential to develop tasks or interventions that are practical, relevant and useful in the real world.  Currently I am working on a project looking to integrate our intervention in to local NHS services with a local NHS trust.  In addition I am running a project  in primary schools to see whether we can use simultaneous whole class testing of cognition alongside teacher behavioural reports to identify children who struggle with their attention and evaluating the benefits of attention training in this group.