Who makes sure that research is done ethically? And what does that even mean?

For a little over three years now, I’ve been a member of the Ethics Committee Psychology (ECP). One of the things I have learned on this committee is that, as a researcher—and as a participant—I was largely unaware of the systems, laws, and protocols in place. Now, viewing research from both sides, I have a new perspective on all this.
How is a study evaluated, and what rights and laws come into play? And what else goes through the mind of an ECP member when they review a study?

Read More

The blessing and the curse of classifying neuroimaging data

Machine learning in cognitive neuroscience In modern cognitive neuroscience, it has become common-practice to apply machine learning techniques to data obtained through neuroimaging. Despite this widespread use, however, there is something amazingly enigmatic about it. On the one hand, there is this organ that for millennia has eluded scholars: billions of neurons connected in myriads […]

Read More

Learning about time in the University Museum

Academics should get out from their ‘Ivory Tower’, and invest more into bringing research to the public. Certainly, this critique is a sting felt by those working in cognitive neuroscience: the majority of our field relies on data acquired with repetitive, highly controlled experimental setups. These allow researchers to test fundamental models of how human […]

Read More