Dr Petroc Sumner - BA MA PhD Cantab
How do visual signals, even ones that we do not consciously perceive, trigger actions? And how do we control our behaviour so that we do not reflexively respond when we don’t want to?
We know that many areas of the cortex and subcortex are involved in visually guided behaviour, but we do not yet understand exactly what information each area receives, and how all the areas function together to produce goal-directed actions. We investigate these issues using a range of techniques including fMRI, eye-tracking, and behavioural tasks with carefully calibrated stimuli, with both healthy volunteers and patients with brain damage.
Selected Publications
Sumner, P., Nachev, P., Morris, P., Peters, A.M., Jackson, S.R., Kennard, C., Husain, M. (2007). Human medial frontal cortex mediates unconscious inhibition of voluntary action. Neuron. 54, 697-711.
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Sumner, P., Tsai, P-C., Yu, K., Nachev, P. (2006) Attentional modulation of sensorimotor processes in the absence of perceptual awareness. PNAS, 103, 10520-10525
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Sumner, P., Nachev, P., Vora, N., Husain, M. and Kennard, C. (2004). Distinct cortical and collicular mechanisms of inhibition of return revealed using S cone stimuli. Current Biology. 14, 2259-2263.
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Sumner, P, Adamjee, T. and Mollon, J.D. (2002) Signals invisible to the collicular and magnocellular pathways can capture visual attention. Current Biology, 12, 1312-1316.
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Research Projects
See it, grab it: Control of automatic sensorimotor behaviour in health and disease. Wellcome Project Grant, 2009-2012 (£426 191). Petroc Sumner, Masud Husain, Krish Singh, Bob Rafal. Research Associates: Fred Boy (Cardiff) and Jen McBride (UCL)
Is perceived colour altered when we move our eyes. ESRC project Grant 2009-2010 (£82 039) Petroc Sumner and Aline Bompas.
BBSRC Project Grant, 2005-2008: Using S cones to investigate the role of the superior colliculus in automatic visual processes (£194 578).
WICN pilot grants, 2007: Control of automaticity and automaticity of control (£8704); Influence of frontal eye fields on contrast perception (£3305).
Research Students
Chris Allen jointly supervised with Dr Chris Chambers
Christina Howard jointly supervised by Prof Dylan Jones