Our ability to perceive the world, think and remember things depends upon the functioning of our brain. In this course we will look at the workings of the brain, with particular focus on understanding aspects of brain function that are of particular importance to psychology. Consequently, this course focus on the link between neuroscience and psychological functioning. 

Topics will include: mind-body problem; techniques to determine brain structure and cognitive functioning; functional properties and organisation of neurons in the early stages of the visual system and how that influences our perception; genetic and environmental influences in the development of the tuning properties of cells; colour processing and pathologies; memory encoding and storage; how emotion can affect memories; parallel and hierarchical processing in the brain; and how clinical neuropsychological findings map onto these pathways and processing stages, with particular emphasis on the concept of the cortical localisation of function.