Professor Kourtzi’s research focuses on imaging the neural processes in the human brain that mediate complex, adaptive cognitive functions and behaviour. In particular, she combines multimodal brain imaging methods (structural and functional MRI, EEG, MEG), established behavioural paradigms from cognitive psychology and state-of-the art mathematical algorithms to understand the link between brain structure, neural function and behaviour. The development of these multidisciplinary and advanced tools has direct applications for translational research in ageing and neurological disorders with potential impact for the prevention and treatment of nervous system disorders. Within this framework research in Professor Kourtzi's lab spans diverse areas in neuroscience: visual brain imaging, learning and plasticity, cognitive development of the intact and impaired brain across the lifespan from infancy to ageing.
Selected publications
Mayhew S D , Li S, Storrar J K, Tsvetanov J A, Kourtzi Z (2010). Learning Shapes the Representation of Visual Categories in the Aging Human Brain. J Cogn Neurosci. 22(12) 2899-2912
Kourtzi Z, (2010) Visual learning for perceptual and categorical decisions in the human brain. Vision Res. 50(4) 433-440
Zhang J , Kourtzi Z (2010). Learning-dependent plasticity with and without training in the human brain. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 107(30) 13503-13508
Gerardin P, Kourtzi Z, Mamassian P (2010). Prior knowledge of illumination for 3D perception in the human brain Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. (in press)
Chen D, Li S, Kourtzi Z, Wu S (2010). Behavior-Constrained Support Vector Machines for fMRI Data Analysis IEEE. Transactions on Neural Networks 21(10) 1680-1685
Zhang J, Meeson A, Welchman A E, Kourtzi Z (2010). Learning alters the tuning of functional magnetic resonance imaging patterns for visual forms J. Neurosci 30(42) 14127-33
Preston T J , Kourtzi Z, Welchman, A E (2009). Adaptive Estimation of Three-Dimensional Structure in the Human Brain. J Neurosci. 29(6), 1688-1698
Li S, Mayhew S D, Kourtzi Z (2009) Learning shapes the representation of behavioral choice in the human brain. Neuron.62 441-452
Duncan K K, Hadjipapas A, Li S, Kourtzi Z, Bagshaw A, Barnes G (2009) Identifying spatially overlapping local cortical networks with MEG. Hum. Brain. Mapp.(in press)
Jastorff J, Kourtzi Z, Giese M A (2009) Visual learning shapes the processing of complex movement stimuli in the human brain. J. Neurosci.29(44) 14026-14038
Schwarzkopf D S, Zhang J, Kourtzi Z (2009) Flexible learning of natural statistics in the human brain. J. Neurophysiol.102(3) 1854-1867
Raemaekers M, Lankheet M J,Moorman S, Kourtzi Z,van Wezel R J (2009) Directional anisotropy of motion responses in retinotopic cortex. Hum Brain Mapp.30(12) 3970-3980
Please see the Cognitive Neuroimaging Lab for more publications and PDFs