This is a guest blog post written by Dr Conor Thornberry, Assistant Professor in Psychology at National College of Ireland.
In this blog, NCI's Dr Conor Thornberry shares insights into his academic journey so far, detailing what aspects of Psychology interest him the most, inspiring his research, and being the key motivator behind wanting to be involved in Brain Awareness Week.
Dr Conor Thornberry’s Academic Journey To Date
My name is Conor Thornberry, and I am a cognitive neuroscientist. I am an Assistant Professor in Psychology at National College of Ireland, with a PhD in Psychology from Maynooth University. My research explores how our brain understands and interacts with the world around us. I'm interested in how we form accurate mental maps of our surroundings and use them to learn, remember, and navigate. I’m also interested in exploring the brain processes that are involved in decision-making, attention, and memory during navigation. I'm also curious about how these abilities change as we age. I want to examine whether training our brains can improve navigation skills and possibly even slow down cognitive decline. To study these concepts, I tend to use virtual reality tasks or video games to simulate real-world navigation, combined with neuroimaging tools such as EEG to record brain activity.
My doctoral research focused on how the brain helps us learn, remember things, and navigate our environments, and that research was funded by the John & Pat Hume Doctoral Fellowship. I published my findings in several peer-reviewed journals and I was honoured to receive a Young Investigator Award from the European Brain & Behaviour Society in 2023. I am passionate about science communication. Over the past few years, I have taken part in various outreach events, such as speaking at Pint of Science in a Dublin pub and at the Communiversity initiative in a local library. I enjoy teaching and my research hugely motivates me, so it has been brilliant to be able to engage with students and hopefully encourage them in their own research journeys since joining the Psychology Department in National College of Ireland.
Taking Part in Brain Awareness Week, 2025
Brain Awareness Week 2025 runs from March 10th to March 16th and I am delighted to have received funding from the Federation of Neuroscience Societies (FENS) and the DANA Foundation to host an official event at National College of Ireland. Brain Awareness Week is an incredibly important initiative that supports the mission of making brain research accessible to everyone. Brain science can help us promote healthier and more productive lives by understanding our own brain health. Our team of researchers at the SAMI Lab and ProBrain Lab in the Psychology Department at NCI, carry out excellent work on neurological and mental health stigma. By taking a lifespan approach to studying brain health, the team are attempting to understand risk and protective factors for dementia and cognitive decline.
I believe it is essential to communicate neuroscience research, so that everyone can have the knowledge they need to make informed health decisions. We also hope to inspire the next generation of scientists by making the event as engaging as possible.
Join Us To Explore The Wonders Of The Brain
Enjoy an afternoon of fascinating talks from researchers who will be discussing brain health, stigma, dementia, and promoting ways to keep your brain healthy. Our aim is to promote brain health, mental well-being, and neuroscience research.
Alongside these brilliant research presentations, NCI’s Early Learning Initiative are looking forward to sharing the impressive work they have been doing on infant mental health and wellbeing. In the lead up to this busy event, NCI’s Psychology Department, due to collaborating with ELI, will have the wonderful opportunity to work with local Transition Year (TY) students. In a series of exciting workshops, young students will engage with our staff and learn all about the brain. We hope to inspire the future generation of neuroscientists and researchers.
End the day with a networking session and enjoy chatting to neuroscientists from NCI and around Ireland over some tea and coffee!
5 Reasons Why You Should Get Involved
- You will learn about the importance of brain science and the role it plays in helping people lead healthier lives.
- You will gain the tools you need to make informed decisions about your physical health and mental wellbeing.
- Did you know that reminiscing about old times could improve our memory? Or that we could use video games to help slow down dementia. The more you know, the more we can do.
- You will have the chance to network with researchers, fellow students, and peers. It will be a day of connection and discovering.
- You could be part of the next generation of scientists. Who knows what sort of neuroscientific discoveries will be made by future researchers? Come hear the current latest research in this field and get inspired about the research discoveries that lie ahead.
We look forward to this event on 12th March in the Kelly Theatre at our Mayor Square Campus Building.
