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Professor Gina Rippon

Gina Rippon

 

Pro-Vice Chancellor (International)

Professor of Cognitive Neuroimaging


Psychology
School of Life & Health Sciences
Aston University
Birmingham B4 7ET
UK

Research Group
Basic and Applied Neurosciences

Research Centre

Aston Brain Centre

Career History

  • 2007 to 2010 - Associate Dean, Postgraduate Taught Programmes, International Relations and Marketing, Aston University
  • 2005 – 2007 - Deputy Head of School of Life and Health Sciences, Aston University
    - Director, Postgraduate Taught Programmes
  • 2003-2005 - Head of Psychology Group, Aston University
  • 2001-2005 - Deputy Director, Neurosciences Research Institute Aston University
  • 2000 to date -Senior Lecturer on the Psychology Teaching Programme Aston University
  • 2000 (Jan-July) Visiting Research Fellow, Centre for Human Sciences, DERA, Farnborough
  • 1999 (Nov/Dec) Visiting Research Fellow, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
  • 1993-2000 - Honorary Research Fellow, Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences,
    Imperial College School of Medicine, London.
  • 1991-1996 - Consultant. APRE, Farnborough. Programme –‘Neurophysiological Correlates of Performance’
  • 1984-1985 - Honorary Research Fellow- Neurosciences Unit, Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry
  • 1975 – 2000 – Lecturer in Psychology, University of Warwick

Research Interests

My research involves the application of brain imaging techniques, particularly electroencephalography,(EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) using cognitive neuroscience paradigms to studies of normal and abnormal cognitive processes. I am especially interested in the functional significance of variations in the frequency characteristics of cortical signals and in mapping functional connectivity between cortical areas. This work has most recently been applied to the study of Autistic Spectrum Disorders and to developmental dyslexia.

Additionally, since my arrival at Aston, I have been working with the MEG research team to explore ways of harnessing the temporal resolution of this technique to the spatial resolution possible with functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). This allows us to explore classic cognitive neuroscience problems in, for example, linguistic processing, learning and memory and affect-cognition interactions and to track the spatiotemporal dynamics of the underlying neuronal networks.

Current research topics include:

  • Cortical connectivity in autistic spectrum disorders
  • Cortical mapping of motivation/cognition interactions
  • Cortical correlates of emotional face processing (with Southampton)
  • Cortical mapping of functional dissociations in linguistic processes
  • Functional significance of variations in theta (4-7Hz) in memory processes
  • Functional significance of variations in gamma (30-60 Hz) in perceptual processes

Previous projects include the following:

  • Abnormal lateralisation in schizophrenia
  • Electrodermal indices of limbic system function
  • Psychophysiological lateralisation
  • Autonomic/Central Nervous System interfaces
  • Psychophysiological sequelae of unilateral brain injury
  • Application of psychophysiological and neuropsychological techniques to early identification of developmental reading disorders.
  • Electrophysiological investigations of affect-cognition interactions.
  • Cortical correlates of human performance

Funding

Past financial support from the International Brain Research Organisation, British Psychological Society, British Academy, Wellcome Foundation, ESRC, BBSRC and Nuffield Foundation are gratefully acknowledged.

Selected publications

  •  Brunswick, N., Martin, G.N., Rippon, G.(2012)  Early Cognitive Profiles of emergent readers: a longitudinal study. J. of Experimental Child Psychology 111(2): 268-285
  • Foley, E., Rippon, G., Thai, J., Longe, O. Senior, C., (2011)  Dynamic Facial expressions evoke distinct activation in the Face Perception Network: a connectivity analysis study. J. of Cognitive Neuroscience, doi: 10.1162/jocn_a_00120

  • Maratos, F., Senior, C., Mogg, K., Bradley, B.P., Rippon, G.  (2011) Early gamma-band activity as a function of threat processing in the extrstriate visual cortex. Cognitive Neuroscience 3:1: 62-68.

  • Rippon, G  & Senior, C.(2010)  Neuroscience Has No Role in National Security, American Journal of BioEthics: 1:2, 37-38

  • Longe,O., Maratos, F.A., Gilbert,P., Evans, G., Volker, F., Rockliff, H., Rippon, G.  Having a word with yourself: Neural Correlates of self-criticism and self-reassurance. NeuroImage 49(2): 1849-1856 (2010)

  • Rippon, G. and Senior, C. Neuroscience has No Role in National Security. American Journal of Bioethics:Neuroscience 1(2): 37-39. (2010)

  • Longe, O., Senior, C., Rippon, G.  Lateral PFC and ventromedial PFC work as a dynamic integrated system: evidence from fMRI connectivity analysis. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience , 21(1): 141-154. (2009)

  • Maratos, F.A., Mogg, K., Bradley, B.P., Rippon, G., Senior, C.  Coarse threat images reveal theta oscillations in the amygdala: A magnetoencephalography study.  Cognitive, Affective and Behavioural Neuroscience, vol. 9, (2) : 133-143. (2009)

  • Thai, J.N., Longe, O.A., Rippon, G. Disconnected brains: What is the role of fMRI in connectivity research? International Journal of Psychophysiology, 73: 27-32. (2009)

  • McNab, F. Rippon, G., Hillebrand, A., K.D. Singh, K.D., Swithenby, S.J. Semantic and phonological task-set priming and stimulus processing investigated using magnetoencephalography (MEG), Neuropsychologia, 45:1041-1054 (2007) 

  • Rippon, G., Brock, J., Brown, C. and Boucher, J. Disordered connectivity in the autistic brain: Challenges for the ‘new psychophysiology’.  International Journal of Psychophysiology. 63 164–172. (2007)

  • Senior, C. and Rippon, G. Cognitive neuroscience: The ‘new psychophysiology’?   EDITORIAL. International Journal of Psychophysiology 63: 135–137. (2007)

  • Brown, C., Gruber, T., Rippon, G., Brock, J., Boucher, J. Gamma abnormalities during perception of illusory figures in autism. Cortex. 41(3) : 264-376. (2005)

  • Bull, R., Baron, H., Gudjonsson, Hampson, S., Rippon, G., Vrij, A. A review of the current scientific status and fields of application of Polygraphic Deception Detection. British Psychological Society, Final Report of BPS Working Party (2004)

  • Lavric, A., Rippon, G., and Gray, J.R. Threat-evoked anxiety disrupts spatial working memory performance: an attentional account.  Cognitive Therapy and Research; 27(5): 489-504. (2003)

  • Richards, I.L., Moores, E., Witton, C., Reddy, P.A., Rippon, G., Rochelle, K.S.H., Talcott, J,B. Science, Sophistry and ‘Commercial Sensitivity’: Comments on ‘Evaluation of an exercise-based treatment for children with reading difficulties’, by Reynolds, Nicolson & Hambly, Dyslexia, 9, 146-150. (2003)

  • Brock, J., Brown, C., Boucher, J. and Rippon, G. The temporal binding deficit hypothesis of autism. Development and Psychopathology 14(2), pp209-224. (2002)

  • Richards, I.L., Witton, C., Moores, E., Reddy, P.A., Rippon., G., and Talcott, J, B. Comments on ‘The Dyslexia Ecosystem’: a reply to Nicolson  . Dyslexia 8: 1-8. (2002)

  • Lavric, A., Pizzagalli, D., Forstmeier, S. and Rippon, G.  Mapping dissociations in verb morphology. Trends in Cognitive Sciences 5(7): 301-309. (2001)

  • Lavric, A., Pizzagalli, D., Forstmeier, S. and Rippon, G.   A double-dissociation of English past-tense production revealed by event-related potentials and low-resolution electromagnetic tomography (LORETA) Clinical Neurophysiology 112. 1833-1849. (2001)

  • Rippon, G. and Brunswick, N. State and trait EEG indices of information processing in developmental dyslexia . International Journal of Psychophysiology,36(3): 251-265. (2000)

  • Lavric, A., Forstmeier, S. and Rippon, G. Differences in Working Memory involvement in analytical and creative tasks: an ERP study.NeuroReport.11(8): 1-6. (2000)

  • Gruzelier, J.H., Cheema, S.., McEvedy. C., Puri, B., Liddiard, D.  Richardson, A., Rippon, G. Opposite Patterns of P300 Asymmetry in Schizophrenia are Syndrome Related. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 34(3) 275-283. (1999)

  • Rippon, G.M.J. and Brunswick, N.  EEG correlates of phonological processing in dyslexic children. Journal of Psychophysiology, 12, 261-274. (1998)

  • Rippon, G.M. J.  The dyslexic self : Commentary on 'A Phenomenology of Dyslexia: The lived-body, ambiguity and the breakdown of expression'  Philosophy, Psychiatry and Psychology.5(1): 25-29. (1998)

  • Brunswick,N and Rippon, G. .  Auditory event-related potentials, dichotic listening performance and handedness as indices of lateralisation in dyslexic and normal readers. International Journal of Psychophysiology 18(3) pp. 265-277. (1994)   

  • Williams, J.D., Rippon, G.M.J., Annett, J., and Stone, B. Psychophysiological concomitants of mental imagery. British Journal of Psychology 86:283-300. (1994)

  • Rippon, G.M.J. Hemispheric differences and electrodermal asymmetry: task and subject effects."In . Electrodermal Activity: from Physiology to Psychology - Proceedings of NATO Advanced Research Workshop. Roy, J.C., Boucsein, W.,Fowles, D.C. and Gruzelier, J.H.(Eds.) Plenum Press,.pp.297-309. (1992)

  • Rippon, G.M.J.  Paranoid-Nonparanoid Differences - Psychophysiological     Parallels.  International Journal of Psychophysiology  Vol. 13. Pgs.79-93. (1992)

  • Rippon, G.M.J.  EEG Topographical mapping and Laterality Measures in Dyslexic Children." In : Dyslexia: Integrating Theory and Practice. Snowling. M. and Thomson, M. (Eds.) Whurr. pp.44-60. (1991)

  • Rippon, G.M.J. Individual differences in electrodermal and electroencephalographic asymmetries.Int.J. of Psychophysiology.8 (3):309-321. (1990)

  • Rippon, G.M.J.. Correlations between electrodermal and electroencephalographic activity - hand and hemisphere differences. In: European Perspectives in Psychology: Vol.2 Pg.424-443 Wiley. (1990)

  • Rippon, G.M.J.  The relation between electrodermal levels, responsiveness and lateral differences in levels in normal and psychopathological groups. In: Hemispheric Asymmetries of Function and Psychopathology  Gruzelier, J.H. and Flor-Henry, P. (Eds.)  Elsevier/North Holland, Amsterdam .pgs.169-189. (1989)

  • Rippon, G.M.J. Bilateral electrodermal activity: effects of differential     hemispheric activation.  J. of Psychophysiology,3 :65-73. (1989)

Selected conference abstracts

  • Longe O, Senior C and Rippon G.(2006)Reward and cognition interactions in the PFC: functional connectivity of the lateral and medial PFC pathway
    WORLD CONFERENCE ON BIOMAGNETISM, VANCOUVER
  • Hassel S, Rippon G, Holliday I and Singh K. (2005) Spatiotemporal dynamics of amygdale responses to emotional facial expressions as revealed by Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and Synthetic Aperture Magnetometry (SAM) Neuroimage
    13th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ORGANISATION FOR HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, TORONTO
  • Mcnab F, Rippon G, Singh K, Swithenby S. (2005) Interactive priming of semantic and phonological processing pathways as revealed by Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and Synthetic Aperture Magnetometry (SAM) Neuroimage
    13th ANNUAL MEETING OF THE ORGANISATION FOR HUMAN BRAIN MAPPING, TORONTO
  • Rippon, G., Burgess, A.P., Singh, K.D., Barnes, G.R., Hillebrand, A.(2003)Spatio-temporal analyses of Magnetocencephalographic (MEG) data: event-related oscillations in a face recognition task.
    (Abstract 508) NeuroImage     19(2): CD-ROM.
  • Hadjipapas, A., Barnes, G.R., Holliday, I.E., Rippon, G. (2003)Long range linear and nonlinear intercortical interactions during cognitive tasks evaluated using MEG beamformers
    (Abstract 845). NeuroImage     19(2): CD-ROM.
  • Hassel, S., Rippon, G., and Holliday, I.E. (2003)Investigating Neural Substrates of Happy and Sad Facial Expressions using Magnetoencephalography
    (Abstract 25). NeuroImage     19(2): CD-ROM.
  • McNab, F., Rippon, G., Singh, K., Swithenby, S. (2003)Task-specific semantic and phonological processing of visually presented words: Synthetic Aperture Magnetometry (SAM) techniques applied to Magnetoencephalography data
    (Abstract 1324). NeuroImage     19(2): CD-ROM.
  • Rippon G (2002) Functional significance of frontal theta: New developments
    International Journal of Psychophysiology     45 48

Additional Activities: 'Uses and Abuses of Neuroscience'

I am also involved in ‘public engagement with science’ activities relating to possible misunderstandings, misinterpretation and misrepresentation of findings in the sphere of brain imaging. A particular concern is the production of populist books on the role of the brain in certain aspects of behaviour (such as gender differences) or on the harnessing of neuroscience research in spheres such as detection of deception and national security. I have been involved in British Psychological Society working parties and in activities such as the British Science Festival to communicate these concerns.

Selected editorials, book chapters and reviews

  • Senior C & Rippon G (eds) (2007) Cognitive neuroscience: the new psychophysiology?
    Special Issue – Intnl J of Psychophysiology     63 :135-137
  • Rippon, G. (2006)‘Electroencephalography’
    In: ‘Methods in Mind’ (Eds. C. Senior, T. Russell, M. Gazzaniga MIT Press )
  • Rippon G (1996) ‘Electroencephalography’
    In Blackwell Dictionary of Neuropsychology (Eds. Beaumont g, Kenealy P & Rogers M) Blackwell p 304-312
  • Rippon G (1994) Sex and gender differences: issues for psychopathology
    In Psychology and the Social Sciences : a review for psychiatrists. (Eds. Tantam D & Birchwood M..) Royal College of Psychiatrists p203-224

External activities

  • 2007 Invited member of Scientific Committee of International Organisation of Psychophysiology World Congress, St Petersburg, 2007
  • 2005. Co-organiser of International methods in Mind conference.
  • 2003-2004. Member by invitation of British Psychological Society Government Advisory Group to prepare a policy document on the use of polygraphic techniques in the UK public and private sectors.
  • 2002. UK representative on Scientific Committee of International Organisation of Psychophysiology World Congress, Montreal
  • 2001 – present :Committee member , British Psychophysiology Society/British Assn of Cognitive Neuroscience
  • 1998 – 2001 President, British Psychophysiology Society.
  • 2000 (Jan. – Mar.) Visiting Research Fellow, Centre for Human Sciences, DERA, Farnborough.
  • 1999 (Nov.) Visiting Research Fellow, Dept. of Affective Neuroscience, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
  • 1994 British Representative, Standing Conference Committee - 2nd European Congress of Psychophysiology, Barcelona 1994
  • 1991 Invited speaker, NATO Advanced Research Workshop, Lille, France.
  • 1991 1995:Treasurer - British Psychophysiology Society
  • 1988-1991:Treasurer and Membership Secretary - British Psychophysiology Society.
  • 1986 Member of BPS Working Group on the Use of the Polygraph in Criminal Investigation and Personnel Screening
  • 1985 Convenor of British Psychophysiology Society Working Party on Use of Polygraph for 'Detection of Deception'.

Internal activities

  • 2007 Change Academy Team (Funded by the HEA and the Leadership Foundation) ‘Planning institutional change to promote regional regeneration’
  • 2000-2007 University Committees (Aston) University Senate- 2 years. University Council – 4 years. Academic Planning and Resources – 2 years. Quality and Standards Committee – 2 years. PG Programmes Management Committee – 2 years. School Board – 6 years. School Research Committee- 4 years. School Teaching Committee – 2 years.

Editorial Activities

  • 1990-1995: Associate Editor, J. of Psychophysiology.
  • 1990-current: Editorial Board - International Journal of Psychophysiology.
  • 1995-current. British representative, Editorial Board - J. of Psychophysiology