About Rory:

About Rory

I graduated with a BSc in Psychology from DCU in 2014, and an MSc in Brain Sciences from the University of Glasgow in 2016.

My BSc research project compared the effects of aerobic exercise and caffeine consumption on measures of mood and cognitive performance. My MSc research project used EEG to investigate the age-related differences in the visual processing of faces. Specifically, my project examined whether there were differences in the information content of brain activity during the visual processing of faces.

I have worked as a Research Assistant in the Whelan Lab using EEG, fMRI and behavioural methods to investigate potential predictors of successful smoking cessation and to examine what brain changes occur in response to nicotine abstinence. I have also worked as a Research Assistant for Dr. Stella Vlachou in the Behavioural Neuroscience Lab in DCU and for Dr. Michael Keane on a pilot study investigating the use of neurofeedback to improve sporting and cognitive performance in Gaelic footballers.

I am currently funded by the Irish Research Council and Altoida AG to carry out research investigating the cognitive neuroscience of ageing.

Current Research

My PhD research focuses on the concept of cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve is a mechanism for actively coping with brain damage or degeneration. Cognitive reserve allows an individual to maintain cognitive functioning in the presence of neuropathology through flexible and efficient use of their cognitive processes. Cognitive reserve is typically measured using a set of proxy measures including such factors as educational attainment and occupational history.

By applying machine learning models to MRI and EEG data, and looking at the relationship between these data and cognitive reserve, I hope to identify the neural networks and activity patterns that might underlie cognitive reserve.

Another aim of my PhD research is to establish a robust and reliable measure of an individual’s overall brain health. To do this, I am applying machine learning models to MRI data in order to generate predictions of an individual’s brain age, which could be a simple biomarker of their brain health.

Professional Profiles:

Contact me:

rorytboyle(at)gmail(dot)com