Research Topics
Cortical plasticity and its consequences on perceptual, attenional and motor processes
In individuals with albinism more optic fibres cross to the opposite hemisphere at the optic chiasm than is the case in persons without albinism. This atypical routing of the visual pathways leads to an almost full field representation of the visual world in each cerebral hemisphere. Retinotopic mapping has shown that in individuals with albinism the typically routed visual information and the atypically routed information can be represented by neighbouring columns in V1, apparently replacing ocular dominance columns. This is not the only way that visual cortex can restructure in order to representt the unusual input, however. Using a visual adaptation paradigm and psychophysical methods, we have shown that in albinism binocular cells in V1 do not continue to integrate information from neighbouring columns. Since an integration would lead to an unusable visual percept in albinism, our results demonstrates that cortical plasticity serves to uphold as much function as possible. In future, I aim to describe in more detail the different forms in which visual cortex restructures in persons with albinism and whether the unusual strucutre of visual cortex has any detrimental effects on visual and cross-sensory perception as well as attentional and motor functions.
Perception, attention and response selection
Objects in the world around us can come to our attention via two mechanisms: we can decide to pay attention to them in a top-down fashion or they can grab our attention via bottom-up mechanisms. The circuitry involved in these two attentional processes remains debated, as does the question to what extent these mechanisms are intimately interlinked. I study the involvement of the intraparietal sulcus and the frontal eye fields in attentional processing using TMS and DTI. Also debated is whether selective attention can interact only with perceptual or also with response selection mechanisms. Using a behavioural flanker task we have provided evidence that attention affects perceptual, but not response selection mechanisms.
Health psychology
I am interested in two topics related to albinism and visual impairment in general. First, there is some preliminary scientific evidence and a lot of accounts on online media that albinism affects quality of life (QOL). However, no specific assessment tools have yet been developed in order to research this issue. Thus, in collaboration with Dr Harsimran Singh at the University of Virginia, I am keen to develop an albinism-specific quality of life questionnaire. Second, the language that is use to speak about participant groups with visual impairments and/or genetic conditions often inadvertently portraits these individuals as deformed, curious creatures. We are working on a position statement to draw the awareness of medical practitioners and researchers to the potentially damaging effect such language can have on affected individuals.
ADHD
A hihger than usual prevanlence of ADHD among persons with albinism has been reported in the literature. Together with Dr Laura McAvinue at the University of Limerick, we have suggested that while behavioural problems might well be common in this popuation, current evidence is not sufficient to support ADHD as the underlying cause of these.
In individuals with albinism more optic fibres cross to the opposite hemisphere at the optic chiasm than is the case in persons without albinism. This atypical routing of the visual pathways leads to an almost full field representation of the visual world in each cerebral hemisphere. Retinotopic mapping has shown that in individuals with albinism the typically routed visual information and the atypically routed information can be represented by neighbouring columns in V1, apparently replacing ocular dominance columns. This is not the only way that visual cortex can restructure in order to representt the unusual input, however. Using a visual adaptation paradigm and psychophysical methods, we have shown that in albinism binocular cells in V1 do not continue to integrate information from neighbouring columns. Since an integration would lead to an unusable visual percept in albinism, our results demonstrates that cortical plasticity serves to uphold as much function as possible. In future, I aim to describe in more detail the different forms in which visual cortex restructures in persons with albinism and whether the unusual strucutre of visual cortex has any detrimental effects on visual and cross-sensory perception as well as attentional and motor functions.
Perception, attention and response selection
Objects in the world around us can come to our attention via two mechanisms: we can decide to pay attention to them in a top-down fashion or they can grab our attention via bottom-up mechanisms. The circuitry involved in these two attentional processes remains debated, as does the question to what extent these mechanisms are intimately interlinked. I study the involvement of the intraparietal sulcus and the frontal eye fields in attentional processing using TMS and DTI. Also debated is whether selective attention can interact only with perceptual or also with response selection mechanisms. Using a behavioural flanker task we have provided evidence that attention affects perceptual, but not response selection mechanisms.
Health psychology
I am interested in two topics related to albinism and visual impairment in general. First, there is some preliminary scientific evidence and a lot of accounts on online media that albinism affects quality of life (QOL). However, no specific assessment tools have yet been developed in order to research this issue. Thus, in collaboration with Dr Harsimran Singh at the University of Virginia, I am keen to develop an albinism-specific quality of life questionnaire. Second, the language that is use to speak about participant groups with visual impairments and/or genetic conditions often inadvertently portraits these individuals as deformed, curious creatures. We are working on a position statement to draw the awareness of medical practitioners and researchers to the potentially damaging effect such language can have on affected individuals.
ADHD
A hihger than usual prevanlence of ADHD among persons with albinism has been reported in the literature. Together with Dr Laura McAvinue at the University of Limerick, we have suggested that while behavioural problems might well be common in this popuation, current evidence is not sufficient to support ADHD as the underlying cause of these.
Awards and Grants Funded as Principle Investigator
2013-2014 Postdoctoral bridging funding for the advancement of female scientists in the state of Saxony-Anhalt (salary)
2009 Klemen, J., Jones, D.K., Menz, M.M. & Chambers, C. Welsh Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience project grant
‘Establishing anatomical connectivity of multisensory perception and attentional control using diffusion tensor imaging
(£2,250)
2008-2009 International Collaboration Award (£1,650)
2009 Klemen, J., Kurniawan, V. & Chambers, C., Welsh Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience project grant ‘Multisensory spatial
and feature-based attention’ (£4500)
2009 Klemen, J., Zhang, W. & Chambers, C., Welsh Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience project grant ‘The Effect of
Crossmodal Attentional Load on Sensory Processing and the Control of Attentional Resources’ (£4500)
2008 Klemen, J. & Chambers, C., Welsh Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience project grant ‘Top-down control of crossmodal
attention and its effects on sensory processing’ (£15,000)
2008 Klemen, J. & Chambers, C., Cardiff Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme, 50% funding for an
undergraduate research assistant (£680)
2006 OHBM, travel award ($750)
2002-2005 Thomas Holloway Award: PhD fees waiver (£10,500)
2003-2004 Fully funded place on the European Diploma in Cognitive and Brain Sciences
2003 Klemen, J. & Pisani, M., British Psychological Society, funding to carry out the ‘British Psychological Society
Postgraduate Winter Workshop’, (£1000)
2002 British Psychological Society, best 3rd year undergraduate project (£100)
2009 Klemen, J., Jones, D.K., Menz, M.M. & Chambers, C. Welsh Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience project grant
‘Establishing anatomical connectivity of multisensory perception and attentional control using diffusion tensor imaging
(£2,250)
2008-2009 International Collaboration Award (£1,650)
2009 Klemen, J., Kurniawan, V. & Chambers, C., Welsh Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience project grant ‘Multisensory spatial
and feature-based attention’ (£4500)
2009 Klemen, J., Zhang, W. & Chambers, C., Welsh Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience project grant ‘The Effect of
Crossmodal Attentional Load on Sensory Processing and the Control of Attentional Resources’ (£4500)
2008 Klemen, J. & Chambers, C., Welsh Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience project grant ‘Top-down control of crossmodal
attention and its effects on sensory processing’ (£15,000)
2008 Klemen, J. & Chambers, C., Cardiff Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme, 50% funding for an
undergraduate research assistant (£680)
2006 OHBM, travel award ($750)
2002-2005 Thomas Holloway Award: PhD fees waiver (£10,500)
2003-2004 Fully funded place on the European Diploma in Cognitive and Brain Sciences
2003 Klemen, J. & Pisani, M., British Psychological Society, funding to carry out the ‘British Psychological Society
Postgraduate Winter Workshop’, (£1000)
2002 British Psychological Society, best 3rd year undergraduate project (£100)
Collaborators
Dr Chris Chambers, School of Psychology and Cardiff University Brain Research and Imaging Centre, Cardiff University, UK
Dr Laura McAvinue, Department of Psychoogy, University of Limerick, Ireland
Dr Harsimran Singh, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, USA
Dr Laura McAvinue, Department of Psychoogy, University of Limerick, Ireland
Dr Harsimran Singh, Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia, USA
Membership
Albinism Fellowship UK
Organisation for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM)
Organisation for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM)