Matthew Apps

Abstract submission open for The Mechanistic Basis of Foraging 2025 (U. Birmingham, 3-5 November)

uobevents.eventsair.com/the-mechanis...
Deadline: August 17

A meeting for all fascinated by the brain's role in foraging

Pls share!

Trainees of early adopters then followed along similar lines. So in neuroscience circles, modelling feels just part of the tools around for a while, but in lots of psych circles it is still seen as a new innovation. So I think it's just time thats needed for there to be more models of emotion.

I think part of the reason emotions are less studied in this way is historical/theoretical. Computational modelling was adopted first by those whose work could be loosely tied to behaviourism - reinforcement learning and reward based decision-making - that typically were not so interested in mood.

Neural and computational mechanisms of momentary fatigue and persistence in effort-based choice - Nature Communications The willingness to exert effort into demanding tasks often declines over time through fatigue. Here the authors provide a computational account of the moment-to-moment dynamics of fatigue and its impa...

Interesting thread, & a topic my lab is grappling with too. We have been trying to build models of subjective sensations of fatigue (not sure if it meets all definitions of emotion?), and how they impact on decision-making. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Head of School of Psychology at University of Birmingham Apply for the Head of School of Psychology role on jobs.ac.uk, the top job board for academic positions in higher education. View details and apply now.

www.jobs.ac.uk/job/DNS973/h... We're recruiting for a new Head of School for Psychology @unibirmingham.bsky.social - please do get in touch if of interest.

Meta‐Analysis Reveals That Explore–Exploit Decisions Are Dissociable by Activation in the Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex, Anterior Insula, and Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex We conducted a coordinate-based meta-analysis (N = 23 studies) where we found activation in the dorsal lateral prefrontal cortex, anterior insula, and anterior cingulate cortex during exploration ver...

🚨 New paper in European Journal of Neuroscience:
Meta-Analysis Reveals That Explore–Exploit Decisions Are Dissociable by Activation in the Dorsal Lateral Prefrontal Cortex, Anterior Insula, and Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex.
🔗 doi.org/10.1111/ejn.... (1/2)

@fearbrain.bsky.social (Caltech), @markdhumphries.bsky.social (Nottingham),‪ @becketebs.bsky.social (Montreal), @dlbarack.bsky.social (Pennsylvania), & @ellileadbeater.bsky.social (UCL) & more to come. All possible thanks to support from @thechbh.bsky.social, @ukri.org & @unibirmingham.bsky.social

This meeting will bring together ecologists, neuroscientists, psychologists and clinicians interested in understanding how computations, cells, systems and environments shape decision-making. Confirmed talks from @mkflugge.bsky.social (Oxford) Susan Healy (St Andrews), @benhayden.bsky.social (Rice),

I am delighted to announce registration and abstract submission is open for "The Mechanistic Basis of Foraging 2025" to be held at the Edgbaston Park Hotel, University of Birmingham, UK on 3-5th November 2025. uobevents.eventsair.com/the-mechanis...

Sorry you weren't well Katja, hope you feel better soon. And thank you for the congrats!

Thank you for coming, Matthew and glad you enjoyed it!

Its nearly time....

Environmental disruption is impacting people's mental health Communities around the world are using innovative programmes like youth-led support schemes to address the mental health impacts of environmental change.

Excited to see that our International Neuro Climate Working Group is featured by the World Economic Forum as one of the top global initiatives addressing climate change & mental health 🌍🧠

Grateful to be part of this inspiring, growing movement!

📰 Read more: www.weforum.org/stories/2025...

Inaugural Lecture of Professor Matthew Apps Inaugural Lecture of Professor Matthew Apps, Can I be bothered? Uncovering computations in the brain that (de) motivate us. 02/07/25

Excited to deliver my Inaugural lecture as Professor of Cognitive Computational Neuroscience - 4pm (UK time), 2nd July, in-person and online.
Title: Can I be bothered? Uncovering computations in the brain that (de) motivate us.

www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/c...

Important comment on an impressive new paper! People looking to measure incentivised, effortful actions might be interested in our preprint inc. new online task and effect of pro-environmental interventions 💪🌍 osf.io/preprints/ps... w/ @thepsychologist.bsky.social, @brainapps.bsky.social & many more

Aw shucks, thank you. Procrastination and boredom are two things I have always wanted to look at but struggled with, so our interests are definitely aligned!

Thanks Erin. Such a shame I can't be there to meet. I really liked your talk!

⏰ Deadline Monday (28th) for @unibirmingham.bsky.social & @unileiden.bsky.social Computational Social Cognition summer school.

Don't miss keynotes by Matthew Rushworth, @dianatamir.bsky.social &
@davidamodio.bsky.social

www.compsoccog.com

⬇️ Only text response questions in the short application:

CSC 2025

Announcing the second 'Computational Social Cognition Summer School' @unibirmingham.bsky.social and Uni. Leiden. Keynotes from @dianatamir.bsky.social , @davidamodio.bsky.social, & Matthew Rushworth, hands on tutorials & instruction from experts, & fun activities for a low price! www.compsoccog.com

Thank you!

Please repost this PhD opportunity in my group working on cognitive computational and decision neuroscience.

3.5 year PhD studentship in cognitive computational neuroscience open in my MSN lab, @thechbh.bsky.social, co-supervised with @selmalugtmeijer.bsky.social & @simonlittle.bsky.social. Deadline 23rd March. Only open to UK candidates. More details here: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Pls repost

3.5 year PhD studentship in cognitive computational neuroscience open in my MSN lab, @thechbh.bsky.social, co-supervised with @selmalugtmeijer.bsky.social & @simonlittle.bsky.social. Deadline 23rd March. Only open to UK candidates. More details here: www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Pls repost

CSC 2025

Announcing the second 'Computational Social Cognition Summer School' @unibirmingham.bsky.social and Uni. Leiden. Keynotes from @dianatamir.bsky.social , @davidamodio.bsky.social, & Matthew Rushworth, hands on tutorials & instruction from experts, & fun activities for a low price! www.compsoccog.com

An excellent thesis and fantastic discussion with Dr.Sam. An absolute pleasure to examine. Congratulations Sam and Tobias!

Excited to be part of this project using functional MRS to examine metabolic changes during grip force, offering interesting insights into brain lactate and more....

Proud to have our first fMRS study from @thechbh.bsky.social published with Maria, @kdudzikowska.bsky.social, Dinesh, @ajquinn.bsky.social, @pgmm03.bsky.social, @brainapps.bsky.social :) Looking forward to making further developments towards fMRS becoming a popular tool for measuring brain activity.

Thank you for your really interesting and wonderfully clear talk David! Lots to think about!

Please repost this open PhD studentship.

The Computational and Neural Dynamics of Human Motivation and Cognitive Control at University of Birmingham on FindAPhD.com PhD Project - The Computational and Neural Dynamics of Human Motivation and Cognitive Control at University of Birmingham, listed on FindAPhD.com

Funded PhD (UK students only). Interested in a PhD working in the MSN lab, co-supervised by Dr. Romy Froemer? Topic is flexible around themes of motivation and decision-making, using techniques such as computational modelling, brain imaging, or brain stimulation. www.findaphd.com/phds/project...