Rachel Marchant

School of Psychology
Doctoral Researcher

Contact details

Telephone: +44 (0)121 414 7209
Email: rem393@student.bham.ac.uk

Address: Office: Frankland 513
School of Psychology
University of Birmingham
Edgbaston
Birmingham
B15 2TT
UK

Rachel Marchant is a doctoral researcher at the University of Birmingham studying anomalous perceptual experiences and aberrant processing in psychologically healthy populations. She is currently using brain stimulation techniques to investigate how cortical hyperexcitability in the visual association cortex can influence visual hallucinations and associated distortions. Understanding the origin and nature of these experiences and processes provides important insights into current models of brain function and consciousness.

Qualifications

Cognitive Neuroscience BSc (Sussex University) – First
Brain Imaging and Cognitive Neuroscience MSc (University of Birmingham) – Distinction

Biography

Rachel previously studied Neuroscience and Cognitive Science at the University of Sussex, before undertaking a research-based Masters in Brain Imaging and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Birmingham.

Doctoral research

PhD title: The dissociated self: An investigation of the neurocognitive factors underlying anomalous experiences in self-consciousness

Other activities

Undergraduate Teaching Assistant (Year 3 module: The Lying Brain; Year 1 module: Research Methods B)
Student Representative for all first year Psychology PhD students

Publications

Reniers, R., et al. (2015). It's all in the reward: The influence of peer pressure on risk-taking behaviour during young adulthood. Presented at the Third International Youth Mental Health Conference, Montreal, Canada.

Braithwaite, J., Marchant, R., Takahashi, C., Dewe, H., & Watson, D. (2015). The Cortical Hyperexcitability index: A new measure for quantifying correlates of visually driven cortical hyperexcitability. Cognitive Neuropsychiatry, 20, 4, 330-348.