I am a cognitive neuroscientist examining the mechanisms that support positive social experiences in neurotypical development, autism and schizophrenia. I have innovated interactive eye-tracking and virtual reality (VR) paradigms which interface with various human neuroimaging, neurophysiology and behavioural methods. These methods have provided novel insights into the mechanisms that allow humans to perceive, evaluate and respond to social information in the context of reciprocal, dynamic and collaborative social interactions, whilst maintaining critical experimental control and objectivity in the measurement of social behaviour and corresponding brain processes. These new methodological approaches have taken the field of social neuroscience beyond paradigms where humans are restricted to the passive observation of social stimuli.

Aside from my research in social cognition and neuroscience, I am also involved in a number of literacy research projects investigating reading and spelling in adults and adolescents.