Research Interests

My research area is in Cognitive Psychology / Cognitive Neuroscience. Specifically, I research within the area of working memory (WM) and dyslexia. I am using electrophysiological and computational techniques to examine why individuals with dyslexia often have impaired WM functioning. I have previously examined WM processing in the phonological and visuo-spatial domain, and I am now designing an intervention to aid WM processing in dyslexic individuals.

I have also conducted work in the area of higher level language processing, examining Theory of mind (ToM) updating during conversation, and research on negation processing.

Thesis Title

An electrophysiological and computational exploration of the working memory deficit in developmental dyslexia.

Supervisors

Dr Heather Ferguson (Psychology)

Professor Howard Bowman (Computing)

Professor Bob Johnston (Psychology)

 

Funding

Joint funding between School of Psychology and School of Computing, University of Kent
EPS Grindley Grant - £50

 

Keywords

Dyslexia
Working memory
Electroencephalogram (EEG) – EEGlab for ERP/LRPs, ICA and source localisation.
Eye tracking
Signal detection theory
Neural Network modelling

 

Conference Presentations

Ahmad, J., Ferguson, H, J., Bowman, H. (2012). Poster presented at the Annual Experimental Psychology Society Meeting 2012, held at University College London.

Ahmad, J., Ferguson, H, J., Bowman, H. (2012). Poster presented at the School of Psychology Symposium 2012, held at the University of Kent.

Ferguson, H, J., Ahmad, J., Unrich, P., Bindermann, M., Apperly, I. (2012). Task-constraints (but not semantic association) facilitate perspective use during discourse interpretation. Poster presented at The 25th Annual CUNY Conference on Human Sentence Processing, held at New York University.

Ahmad, J., Ferguson, H, J. (2011). Eye-tracking reveals Theory of Mind processing during conversation. Talk given at the Social Psychology seminar, held at the University of Kent.

Ahmad, J., Ferguson, H, J. (2011). An on-line examination of Theory of mind processing. Talk given at the Cognitive Psychology seminar, held at the University of Kent.

Ahmad, J., & Ferguson, H. (2010). Eye tracking reveals the time course involved in perspective taking: A visual world study. Poster presented at the Annual Architectures and Mechanisms for Language Processing Conference 2010, held at the University of York.

Ahmad, J., Cameron, L., Carty, C. (2009). The benefits of a strong Ethnic identity for wellbeing. Poster presented at the Annual BPS Social Psychology Conference 2009, held at the University of Sheffield.

Teaching and Other Academic Activities

Academic year 2011-2012:

Associate lecturer in:

Methods in Cognitive Neuroscience.

Biological Psychology.

Cognitive Psychology.

Psychology statistics and practical.

Cognitive Neural Networks (computer science)

 

Outreach work on the University of Kent's Partnership schools scheme

 

Academic year 2010-2011:

Associate lecturer in:

Biological Psychology.

Cognitive Psychology.

Cognitive Neural Networks

 

Other academic activities

Member of the Centre for Cognitive Neuroscience and Cognitive Systems (CCNCS)
I am part of the fortnightly statistical parameter mapping (SPM) reading group.
Cognitive group leader: I organise the fortnightly research seminars for the cognitive Psychology research group.
Throughout my PhD I have taken additional modules in computer science (object oriented programming (introduction and advanced) and Matlab, and mathematics (foundations 1 and 2).

Past Research Assistant work:
ESRC funded project with Dr Ulrich Wegner, using eye-tracking to examine Counter-directional eye movements during reading.

School of Psychology
Keynes College
University of Kent
Canterbury, Kent
CT2 7NP
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1227 827468
Fax. +44 (0)1227 827030
Email: Jumana Ahmad

Office: Keynes College A3.09/10