Brain stimulation Research Fellow highlight
12 Rhagfyr 2018
![Picture of a CUBRIC research fellow with a blurred background of a participant receiving brain stimulation](https://cardiff.imgix.net/__data/assets/image/0010/1365949/chris-allen-research-fellow.jpg?w=570&h=321&fit=crop&q=60&auto=format)
Research fellows are a vital part of CUBRIC's scientific workforce, and one researcher in particular is making waves in the world of brain stimulation.
Dr Chris Allen utilises non-invasive brain stimulation techniques such as TMS and tES to activate neurons in the brain, which allows for the study of perception, attention and cognition. In a recent study, Chris combined TMS and MEG as a way in which to investigate the relationship between brain activity and cognitive control.
![](https://cardiff.imgix.net/__data/assets/image/0012/1258797/allencp.jpg?w=100&h=100&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop)
My work focuses on relationships between experience and its physical embodiment. I use a variety of brain stimulation and brain imaging techniques to change and measure brain activity and relate these to changes in experience. I am particularly interested in how conscious experience flows over time and how this relates to the time course of brain activity. In a recent experiment, I showed the rate at which we can hear things as discrete and separated corresponds directly to rates of brain waves. This implies that brain waves or oscillations might perform a fundamental role in providing limited conditions that allow us to represent information.
Dr Chris Allen is part of the Cardiff Cognition and Neurostimulation Group.
![Man with a transcranial electrical stimulation wand behind his head](https://cardiff.imgix.net/__data/assets/image/0010/939349/IMG_1227_edit.jpg?w=575&ar=16:9)