Sussex Attention Lab
People
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Dr Sophie Forster
Principal Investigator
My research uses cognitive psychology and neuroscience methods to study attention, distraction and mind wandering, in both non-clinical and clinical populations. I completed my PhD research under the supervision of Nilli Lavie at University College London. My post-doctoral research took me to Sonia Bishop's lab at UC Berkeley, before moving back to University College London for an ESRC fellowship. I have been a member of faculty of the School of Psychology at the University of Sussex since 2013.
Dr Giulia Cabbai
Post Doctoral Research Fellow
My research interests lie on the relationship between mental imagery and metacognition. In particular, I’m interested in whether individual differences in mental imagery are reflected by different degrees of conscious awareness. Do people at the extreme ends of the imagery spectrum genuinely differ on a perceptual level or it is a matter of metacognition? I’m also interested in the difference between voluntarily and involuntary generated mental imagery. For example do people who lack voluntary imagery still experience involuntary forms of imagery? I previously completed a BSc in Cognitive Psychology at the university of Trento and a MSc in Cognitive Science at the University of Vienna, before coming to Sussex to pursue a PhD as part of the 4-Year Sussex Neuroscience PhD program in Sussex Attention Lab. I am now working as a post-doctoral researcher on the Economic and Social Research Council funded project ‘Watching the mind travel: Understanding internal distraction from our own involuntary thoughts’.
Dr Lucy Somers
Research Assistant
My research interests lie between the arts and sciences, as a creative practitioner interested in colour as well as a researcher of individual differences in colour vision. I completed my PhD at Sussex under Jenny Bosten, investigating the internal and external enhancement of colour vision. Now, I am bringing my knowledge of visual processing to the Attention lab to help investigate the impact of mind wandering on our processing of visual stimuli.
Charlie Havill
PhD student
I am currently investigating ADHD under the supervision of Dr. Sophie Forster. I completed my undergraduate degree in linguistics at Cardiff University, where I developed an interest in psycholinguistics. I then worked as an audiologist with the NHS before pursuing a master’s in psychology at the University of Exeter. My academic and clinical background has provided me with a strong foundation in sensation, perception, and cognition, which has guided my transition into cognitive psychology and neuroscience. My research interests centre on the intersection of cognitive and clinical psychology, as well as cognitive neuroscience. I am especially interested in how attentional processes differ across clinical populations and how these distinctions can inform differential diagnoses. I am currently training in cognitive neuroscience methods, including EEG, alongside complementary techniques like eye tracking, to better address these questions.
Georgia Martínez Wolley Dod
RA Placement Student
I am pursuing a BSc in Psychology and currently completing a placement year as a Research Assistant at the Sussex Attention Lab. My interest in cognitive psychology, particularly mind wandering and inattentional blindness, comes from my fascination with how these processes influence thoughts and behaviours and vary between individuals. I am excited to explore their everyday impact and develop skills in experimental design and data analysis.