Dr Hiran Shanake Perera

After completing my M.Sc. in cognitive neuroscience at Durham University in the UK, I joined Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM) to complete my Ph.D in Psychology. I am interested in understanding the neurophysiological basis of executive functions in psychological disorders by using non-invasive neuroimaging methods. I am also an active member of the British Neuroscience Association (BNA).

My research falls into two related fields, one examining human behaviors, which stems from the field of psychology, and the other examining the underlying neurophysiological responses (of those behaviors) by using cognitive neuroscientific methods such as electroencephalography (also known as EEG). I have tested nehavioral deficits suffered by individuals due to a multitude of psychopathological conditions (such as depression) in order to arrive at hypotheses about the manner in which differences in neurocortical responses in the brain are associated with differences in behavioral responses. To test those hypotheses, I use neuroimaging methods with clinical patients and healthy individuals.

Understanding neurobiological basis of human behaviors will have implications beyond basic psychological science and most importantly it can help to identify transdiagnostic biomarkers to develop individualized treatments.