Personal profile
Research overview
In broad terms, my research is concerned with response control. I am interested in both exploring the neural basis of the control of movement and also in investigating psychological (or 'executive') functions, such as attention, expectation and planning which influence and modify processes of response selection. To these topics, I apply a range of neuroscientific techniques, including psychopharmacology, neurophysiology and analysis of both operant and unconditioned behaviour in humans (healthy volunteers and patient populations) and experimental animals. I am particularly interested in the frontal cortex and its basal ganglia circuits.
Industrial relevance
Development of tools for the measurement of behaviour in laboratory animals with relevance to psychophamacology of anti-depressants, cognitive enhancers and therapies for neurodegenerative disorders (in particular, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease)
Academic/Professional Qualification
Ph.D., Psychology, University of Cambridge
MBA, Open University
B.Sc. (Hons), Psychology, University College London
External positions
PVC(Impact & Innovation), University of East London
Mar 2019 → …
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
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Exacerbation of the credit assignment problem in rats with lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex is revealed by Bayesian analysis of behavior in the pre-solution period of learning
Wang, J., Tait, D. S., Brown, V. J. & Bowman, E. M., 17 Oct 2019, In: Behavioural Brain Research. 372, 112037.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
More rapid reversal learning following overtraining in the rat is evidence that behavioural and cognitive flexibility are dissociable
Dhawan, S. S., Tait, D. S. & Brown, V. J., 2 May 2019, In: Behavioural Brain Research. 363, p. 45-52Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Food or friends? What motivates zebrafish (Danio rerio) performing a visual discrimination
Daggett, J., Brown, V. J. & Brennan, C., 1 Feb 2019, In: Behavioural Brain Research. 359, p. 190-196 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Assessment of intradimensional/extradimensional attentional set-shifting in rats
Tait, D. S., Bowman, E. M., Neuwirth, L. S. & Brown, V. J., Jun 2018, In: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews. 89, p. 72-84 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
“Blocking-like” effects in attentional set-shifting: redundant cues facilitate shifting in male rats with medial prefrontal cortex inactivation
Knott, T., Whyte, A., Dhawan, S. S., Tait, D. S. & Brown, V. J., 13 Sept 2024, In: Neuroscience. 555, p. 134-144 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile
Datasets
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Learning to focus and focusing to learn: more than a cortical trick (Thesis data)
Dhawan, S. S. (Creator), Brown, V. J. (Supervisor) & Tait, D. S. (Supervisor), University of St Andrews, 5 Sept 2023
DOI: 10.17630/0d90f281-6448-46ae-8b29-1d2d4ca2dbe8
Dataset: Thesis dataset
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Data underpinning Tegan Knott's thesis
Knott, T. S. (Creator), Tait, D. S. (Supervisor), Bowman, E. M. (Supervisor) & Brown, V. J. (Supervisor), University of St Andrews, 2025
DOI: 10.17630/f4a20a60-4afe-4e8c-b64d-6ea24808538d, https://doi.org/10.17630/sta/687
Dataset: Thesis dataset
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Dataset for “Blocking-like” effects in attentional set-shifting: redundant cues facilitate shifting in male rats with medial prefrontal cortex inactivation
Knott, T. S. (Contributor), Whyte, A. J. (Contributor), Dhawan, S. S. (Contributor), Tait, D. S. (Contributor) & Brown, V. J. (Creator), Mendeley Data, 17 Jul 2024
Dataset
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Bayesian analysis for quantification of individual rat and human behavioural patterns during attentional set-shifting tasks (thesis data)
Wang, J. (Creator), Bowman, E. M. (Supervisor) & Brown, V. J. (Supervisor), University of St Andrews, 3 Jul 2018
DOI: 10.17630/38f4d940-d16d-4250-a845-c0f43d524a2f, http://hdl.handle.net/10023/14843
Dataset: Thesis dataset
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Exacerbation of the credit assignment problem in rats with lesions of the medial prefrontal cortex is revealed by Bayesian analysis of behavior in the pre-solution period of learning (dataset)
Wang, J. (Creator), Tait, D. S. (Creator), Brown, V. J. (Creator) & Bowman, E. M. (Creator), Mendeley Data, 26 Jun 2019
https://data.mendeley.com/datasets/kkmsnjnzry/1
Dataset
Projects
- 7 Finished
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Cognitive enhancement in schizophrenia: Using neuroactive steroids to restore cognitive function in rodent models of impairment
Brown, V. (PI)
1/10/12 → 30/09/15
Project: Studentship
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EPSRC Institutional Sponsorship 2012: EPSRC Institutional Sponsorship 2012
Brown, V. (PI)
1/04/12 → 31/03/13
Project: Standard
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Research Fellows ISS: Novel Approaches to Drug Development in Psychiatry
Brown, V. (PI)
1/01/11 → 31/12/11
Project: Standard
Activities
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Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews (Journal)
Brown, V. J. (Editor)
2002 → 2015Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editor of research journal
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RAE panel (External organisation)
Brown, V. J. (Participant)
2006 → …Activity: Membership types › Membership of peer review panel or committee
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REF Panel A4 (Psychology, Psychiatry and Neuroscience), HEFCE (External organisation)
Brown, V. J. (Participant)
2010 → 2014Activity: Membership types › Membership of peer review panel or committee
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Early Career Researcher to Editor-in-Chief in 5 steps (Blog)
Brown, V. J. (Keynote/Plenary speaker)
9 Oct 2014Activity: Talk or presentation types › Public lecture/debate/seminar
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Medical Research Council (External organisation)
Brown, V. J. (Participant)
2009 → 2012Activity: Membership types › Membership of public/government advisory/policy group or panel
Prizes
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Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh
Brown, V. J. (Recipient), 2012
Prize: Election to learned society
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BAP/Vernalis Prize for Pre-clinical Psychopharmacology
Brown, V. J. (Recipient), 2001
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)