Dr Robert Kyle
Institute for Adaptive and Neural Computation
Thesis
Models and metaphors in Neuroscience: The role of dopamine in reinforcement learning as a case study
Research Summary
My research focuses on understanding how we learn temporally integrated behaviours such as language, attention, motor control, and planning. It is thought that modulatory effects of the neurotransmitter Dopamine are critical to understanding how these goal-directed behaviours are learned. My PhD involves investigating the biophysical effects of Dopamine, and determining how these effects shape behaviour in physiological and pathological states such as Schizophrenia and Parkinson's disease.
My PhD supervisors were David Willshaw and Daniel Durstewitz
My reading list & bibliography
Citeulike : Who and what I'm reading, and my reading list
Publications
CNS*2009 poster : Dopamine D1/D2 modulation of synaptic plasticity in the prefrontal cortex
review paper : Putting dopamine and reward in context
Journal Club
I also run the Beyond Neurotransmission journal club
Other stuff
In my spare time I do a bit of volunteering work with venture scotland, and the health project at Bridgend allotments.
Recently I built an online plant identification service, it's called "What The Flora?". You can submit plants for identification by tweeting a photo with the hashtag #whattheflora.
I currently maintain a directory of companies in the UK which deliver organic vegetables boxes
I'm also currently working on a project to map edible and useful wild plants growing in urban areas. If you find anything while you're out on a walk you can add it to our foragers' map at http://forage.rsView Larger Map This year I am also working on abundance edinburgh - a project to harvest surplus fruit grown in the city and redistribute it to worthy causes. The project is a great way of highlighting the benefits of locally grown seasonal produce, and it's great fun too. I also have other ongoing web projects such as omnibus.io - a web service for exporting google docs.