The University of Sheffield
Department of Psychology

Dr Myles Jones BSc, MSc, PhD, FHEA

Myles JonesAddress
Department of Psychology
The University of Sheffield
Sheffield S10 2TP, UK
Tel: (+44) 0114 22 26551
Fax: (+44) 0114 27 66515
Room: 2-45
Email M.Jones@sheffield.ac.uk

Qualifications

BSc Psychology (Sheffield), MSc Neuroscience (Institute of Psychiatry), PhD Psychology (Sheffield)

Research Interests

Non-invasive functional neuroimaging techniques
Non-invasive functional neuroimaging techniques such as blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) are frequently used to map the cognitive architecture of the human brain. Such techniques however, do not measure neural activity per se but rather rely on the accompanying changes in blood flow, volume and oxygenation (termed `the haemodynamic response´) to infer the loci and magnitude of neural activation.

Interpreting imaging data
Characterising cerebral haemodynamics and understanding their relationship with the underlying brain activity is essential for the correct interpretation of imaging data. As an MRC PhD student, MRC research associate and now as an MRC funded principal investigator I have used optical techniques to provide direct measures of the cortical haemodynamic response.

Stimulus evoked neural activity
Additional multi-electrode recording techniques have allowed exploration of the relationship between stimulus evoked neural activity and haemodynamics across a wide range of stimulus conditions. However, the magnitude of stimulus evoked neural activity is known not only to depend on stimulus parameters but also on the amount of ongoing cortical neural activity. Ongoing activity is known to be altered during changes in attention, affect or arousal.

Neural processing
Increasingly cognitive neuroscience paradigms deliberately manipulate these states and then investigate the neural processing of subsequent stimuli with neuroimaging technology. My current research, therefore, aims to understand how the stimulus evoked neurovascular coupling relationship changes during different cortical information processing states.

See the Signal Processing in Neuroimaging & Systems Neuroscience (SPiNSN) page

Research Grants

Medical Research Council (MRC). The neurophysiological basis of prolonged negative BOLD signals – J.Berwick (PI),  M.Jones, A.Kennerley, L.Boorman, C. Martin, P. Redgrave, Y. Zheng. £655,000; 06/2011-05/2014

EPSRC. "Engineering virus-like nanoparticles for targeting the central nervous system". G Battaglia (PI), S P. Armes, M. Azzouz, O. Bandmann, J. Berwick, P.G. Ince , A.J. Kennerley, M. Jones, R. Golestanian, R. Hose, R. Mead, K. Ning, A.J. Ryan, P. Shaw, R. Smallwood, D. Walker & Y. Zheng. £ 2,060,808; 05/2009-04/2012

MRC, New Investigator Award (NIA) "Neurovascular coupling during information processing states." M.Jones (PI) £197,000; 09/2006-08/2009

Teaching and administrative duties

With regard to the Undergraduate Degree in Psychology I am level 3 tutor and thus module organiser for the Research Project in Psychology (PSY 314/324/326) and Extended Essay in Psychology (PSY315). I am also module organiser for Neuroscience (PSY 219) and teach on Introduction to Psychology (PSY101)  and Neuroscience and Evolutionary Psychology (PSY 108). I am also a member of The Psychology Department Teaching Committee, Ethics Committeee and The Undergraduate Staff-Student Committee. With regard to the MSc in Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience, I am exams officer, module organiser for the Research Project in Neuroscience (PSY6321) and teach on The Fundamentals of Neuroscience (PSY6306).I am also involved in the scholarship of teaching and am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a University of Sheffield, Senate Award Fellow of Excellence in Learning and Teaching.

Travel Grants

Gordon Research Conference New Investigator Award (`Brain energy metabolism & blood flow´, Andover (NH,USA), August 17-22/08/2008) $1315

Royal Society Conference Grant (Washington DC, USA, SFN 2005) £1200

Post-Doctoral Research Associates

Dr Luke Boorman (MRC, Co-I)

Former Post-Doctoral Research Associates

Dr Mohamad Saka (MRC, PI, 2006-2009)

PhD Students

Priya Patel (TUOS Demonstratorship, 2012-2016, Principal Supervisor)

Rebecca Slack (TUOS Demonstratorship, 2012-2016, Co-Supervisor)

Kira Shaw (A*Star, 2012-2016, Co-Supervisor)

Abigail Dickinson (TUOS Studentship, 2012-2015, Co-Supervisor)

Michael Bruyns-Haylett (TUOS Studentship, 2009-2012, Principal Supervisor)

Sheffield Undergraduate Research Scheme (SURE)

Elizabeth Kingsmill (2012)

Former PhD Students

Dr Kate Bartlett (TUOS Studentship, 2005-2008, Principal Supervisor)

Dr Luke Boorman (EPSRC, 2005-2008, Co-Supervisor)

Former MSc Students

Michael Bruyns-Haylett (CCN, 2007-2008)

Janine Bijsterbosch (BICN, 2006-2007)

Activities and Distinctions

Editorial Board of

The Open Medical Imaging Journal

Reviewer for

Invited talks: Departmental Seminars

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Neuroscience Seminar Series, The University of Bristol, 27/02/12

Faculty of Life Sciences, Neuroscience Research Seminar Series, The University of Manchester, UK. 27/11/10

Department of Life Sciences, The Open University, UK. 10/11/09

Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. USA. 14/01/09.

MRC Centre for Neurodegeneration Research, Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College. London. UK. 04/12/2007.

Invited talks: Conferences

32nd European Conference on Visual Perception. Regensburg, Germany. Symposium: Neurophysiological basis of BOLD signals. 27/08/09.

External Examiner

University of Manchester (PhD)

University of Birmingham (Mres: 2011-2014)

Teaching Awards

Senate Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, 2010

'Inquiry-based Learning across the Curriculum' - Departmental Award (£4,000). IBL Awards Scheme 2007/08

Teaching Grants

PEBBLE - Psychological Enquiry-Based Learning: M. Jones, R. Rowe, J. Andrade & J.May (Funded by CILASS, £12,000)

Teaching

PSY 101 - Discovering Psychology: Mind, Brain and Interaction

PSY 108 - Neuroscience and Evolutionary Psychology

PSY 219 - Neuroscience

PSY 6306 - Fundamentals of Neuroscience

Former Teaching

PSY 6190 - Tutor Training for Enquiry Based Learning

PSY 104 - Methods and Reasoning for Psychologists

Departmental Learning and Teaching Development Advocate

Departmental Inquiry-Based Learning Champion

CILASS Project Leader

Deputy Director: MSc in Brain Imaging and Cognitive Neuroscience

PSY 6302 - Fundamentals of Neuroimaging

PSY 6312 - Advanced Neuroimaging

PSY311 - Psychological and Biological Approaches to Mental Health

Membership of Societies

Public Engagement with Science

Facilitator for 'Decide' discussion game at Café Scientifique

Publications

A list of key publications can be found below.  For a full list of publications please click here

Journal articles