Ron Skelton

Associate Professor
Ph.D. 1982 (British Columbia)
joined Department in 1984

Building on my background in the neural basis of learning and memory, I am presently studying recovery of cognitive function after traumatic brain injury. I continue to be interested in hippocampal mechanisms of memory and spatial cognition, but now study human cognitive processes, seeking new ways to assess recovery from cognitive losses after brain injury. My current research uses a simulation of the Morris water maze in virtual space to study place learning after traumatic brain injury. My lab is currently applying new techniques for tracking eye movements and analyzing EEG. I am also developing an interview-based profile for reporting and tracking outcome after brain injury that spans all the areas of a person's life impacted by brain injury, including the impact on their family. I prefer to supervise students in the Experimental Neuropsychology program. I am not a clinical neuropsychologist and generally cannot accept applicants into the Clinical Program.

Interests

Cognitive neuroscience
Spatial navigation
Recovery of function after brain damage

Program affiliations

Publications

Ross, S.P., Skelton, R.W. and Mueller, S. (2006) Gender differences in learning in virtual space: Implications when using virtual environments in instruction and assessment, Virtual Reality. Volume 10 (3-4), 175-184 Digital Object Identifier (DOI): 10.1007/s10055-006-0041-7

Livingstone, S.A. & Skelton, R.W. (2007) Virtual environment navigation tasks and the assessment of cognitive deficits in individuals with brain injury. Behavioural Brain Research, 185, 21–31.

Mueller, S.C., Jackson, C.P.T., Skelton, R.W. (in press) Gender differences in a virtual water maze: an eye tracking and pupillometry study. Accepted Behavioural Brain Research 26 May 2008.