Matthew Rushworth facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Matthew Rushworth
|
|
|---|---|
| Born |
Matthew F. S. Rushworth
|
| Alma mater | University of Oxford (MA, DPhil) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Neuroscience |
| Institutions | University of Oxford |
| Thesis | The parietal cortex and apraxia (1997) |
| Doctoral advisor | Richard Passingham |
Matthew F. S. Rushworth is a leading professor at the University of Oxford. He is known for his work in Neuroscience, which is the study of the brain. His research lab gets funding from important groups like the Wellcome Trust.
Contents
Education and Early Research
Matthew Rushworth studied Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford. This is where he worked with another scientist named Richard Passingham. In 1994, he earned a special degree called a Doctor of Philosophy (DPhil). His research for this degree looked at a part of the brain called the parietal cortex. He also studied a condition called apraxia, which affects how people make movements.
Understanding the Brain
Professor Rushworth's research focuses on how our brains work. He studies the "circuits" in the brain that help us learn new things. He also looks at how we make decisions and how we understand other people (this is called social cognition).
How We Learn and Decide
He has found ways to compare brain circuits in humans and animals. He can also study how changing one part of the brain affects other parts and our behavior. Professor Rushworth showed that two brain areas, the prefrontal cortex and cingulate cortex, are very important. These areas help us learn that our choices have results. They also help us make decisions based on what we expect to happen.
Learning from Others
His work also explores how we think about different choices, even ones we didn't make. He has shown that our brain activity changes when we are in social situations. This means our brains work differently when we learn from other people, not just by ourselves.
Awards and Recognition
Matthew Rushworth has received important recognition for his work. He was awarded a special research fellowship from the Royal Society. This allowed him to use advanced brain scanning methods. These methods include neuroimaging and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). He used these at the Oxford Centre for fMRI of the Brain. In 2019, he was chosen to be a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS). This is a big honor for scientists in the United Kingdom.
