BACN 2016 Young Scientist Poster Prize

This year’s British Association for Cognitive Neuroscience (BACN) Annual Conference showcased some of the latest neuroscience research, with posters from both early-career and established researchers. One of the outstanding posters from JeYoung Jung was awarded the Young Scientist Poster Prize, sponsored by Rogue Resolutions.

JeYoung Jung’s winning poster presents a study of the inter-individual variability of the TMS effect on semantic processing.

Continuous theta-burst stimulation (cTBS) was applied to the anterior temporal lobe (ATL) using the Brainsight MRI-based neuronavigation system from Rogue Resolutions. Before and after stimulation of this region, thought to be a semantic representational hub, the participants performed a semantic task. The study concludes that pre-interventional neural and neurochemical profiles of the ATL might be a critical factor to predict TMS responsiveness on semantic processing. Participants whose performance was negatively affected (responders) showed a significant correlation between the baseline GABA concentration of the ATL and the TMS effect.

JeYoung Jung is a research associate at the Neuroscience and Aphasia Research Unit (NARU), University of Manchester, UK where she works under the supervision of Professor Matthew Lambon Ralph. She studies the neuropsychology of human higher cognitive functions such as semantics and cognitive control for healthy and psychiatric populations. Before moving to Manchester she completed a MSc in Experimental Psychology at the Korea University in South Korea where she stayed on to complete a PhD in cognitive brain science under the supervision of Prof. Stephen Jackson. During her doctorate study she acquired skills combining brain stimulation and fMRI; concurrent TMS-fMRI and offline TMS/tDCS combined with fMRI.

JeYoung Jung’s research is another example of great work that is being done by up-and-coming neuroscience talent and Rogue Resolutions is proud to support her and her peers in this field. For more information on our programme of hands-on practical workshops which are geared towards the young researcher, please click here.