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Dr Ken Valyear

Senior Lecturer in Psychology

k.valyear@bangor.ac.uk

+44 1248 382623

–

Dr Ken Valyear

View Dr Ken Valyear’s profile on the Bangor Research Portal

Additional Contact Information

355 Brigantia Building
Office: 01248 382623
E-mail: k.valyear@bangor.ac.uk
Web: https://sites.google.com/site/kfvalyear/

Qualifications

  • PhD: Neuroscience
    Western University, Ontario, 2011
  • BSc: Physiology and Psychology
    Western University, Ontario, 2002

Teaching and Supervision

I teach rehabilitation neuroscience, brain stimulation, clinical and applied neuroscience, and methods in cognitive neuroscience. I supervise BSc, MSc and PhD student dissertations.

Research Interests

Our mission is to better understand the links between brain and hand function, and to use this knowledge to improve patient care.

 
Exquisitely designed for function, our hands enable us to reshape our world around us. When brain or bodily injury impairs our ability to use our hands, their pivotal role in upholding our independence and quality of life is made painfully clear. My lab is dedicated to furthering our understanding of the neuroscience of human hand function. With this knowledge new and improved rehabilitation interventions for people with sensory and movement impairments can be developed.
 

Postgraduate Project Opportunities

Current project topics include: (1) Peripheral nerve injury; (2) Upper-limb prosthesis control; (3) Action planning and selection. Primary lab methods include: fMRI; TMS; motion capture; clinical assessments of hand function. Interested applicants are encouraged to contact me: k.valyear@bangor.ac.uk

Publications

2022

  • PublishedHand choice is unaffected by high frequency continuous theta burst transcranial magnetic stimulation to the posterior parietal cortex
    Fitzpatrick, A. M., Dundon, N. M. & Valyear, K. F., 13 Oct 2022, In: PLoS ONE. 17, 10, e0275262.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2020

  • PublishedInterhemispheric transfer of post-amputation cortical plasticity within the human somatosensory cortex
    Valyear, K. F., Philip, B. A., Cirstea, C. M., Chen, P-W., Baune, N., Marchal, N. & Frey, S. H., 1 Feb 2020, In: Neuroimage. 206, 116291.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2019

  • PublishedActive haptic perception in robots: a review
    Seminara, L., Gastaldo, P., Watt, S. J., Valyear, K. F., Zuher, F. & Mastrogiovanni, F., 17 Jul 2019, In: Frontiers in Neurorobotics. 13, 53.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedGrasping with a new hand: Improved performance and normalized grasp-selective brain responses despite persistent functional changes in primary motor cortex and low-level sensory and motor impairments
    Valyear, K. F., Mattos, D., Philip, B. A., Kaufman, C. & Frey, S. H., 15 Apr 2019, In: Neuroimage. 190, p. 275-288
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedNow and then: Hand choice is influenced by recent action history
    Valyear, K. F., Fitzpatrick, A. M. & Dundon, N. M., Feb 2019, In: Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. 26, 1, p. 305-314 10 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedPsychophysical and neuroimaging responses to moving stimuli in a patient with the Riddoch phenomenon due to bilateral visual cortex lesions
    Arcaro, M. J., Thaler, L., Quinlan, D. J., Monaco, S., Khan, S., Valyear, K. F., Goebel, R., Dutton, G. N., Goodale, M. A., Kastner, S. & Culham, J. C., May 2019, In: Neuropsychologia. 128, May, p. 150-165 16 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedThe neural basis of hand choice: An fMRI investigation of the Posterior Parietal Interhemispheric Competition model
    Fitzpatrick, A. M., Dundon, N. M. & Valyear, K. F., 15 Jan 2019, In: Neuroimage. 185, p. 208-221 14 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2018

  • PublishedRepresenting Visual Information in Motor Terms for Grasp Control
    Valyear, K., Sep 2018, Reach-to-grasp behavior: Brain, Behavior and Modelling Across the Life Span. Corbetta, D. & Santello, M. (eds.). Routledge Taylor & Francis
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2017

  • PublishedContributions of the parietal cortex to increased efficiency of planning-based action selection
    Randerath, J., Valyear, K., Philip, B. A. & Frey, S. H., Oct 2017, In: Neuropsychologia. 105, October, p. 135-143
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2016

  • PublishedSensorimotor transformation: The hand that 'sees' to grasp
    Valyear, K. F., 29 Jul 2016, In: Elife. 5, e18887.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedThe Neuroscience of Human Tool Use
    Valyear, K., 16 Dec 2016, Evolution of Nervous Systems: Second Edition. Kaas, J. (ed.). 2 ed. Oxford: Academic Press, p. 341-353 12 p.
    Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review

2015

  • PublishedHand selection for object grasping is influenced by recent motor history
    Valyear, K. F. & Frey, S. H., 2015, In: Psychonomic Bulletin and Review. 21, p. 566-573
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedHuman posterior parietal cortex mediates hand-specific planning
    Valyear, K. F. & Frey, S. H., 2 Apr 2015, In: Neuroimage. 114, p. 226-238
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedTwo Routes to the Same Action: An Action Repetition Priming Study
    Randerath, J., Valyear, K. F., Hood, A. & Frey, S. H., 2015, In: Journal of Motor Behavior. 47, 2, p. 142-152
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2013

  • PublishedDecoding the neural mechanisms of human tool use
    Gallivan, J. P., McLean, D. A., Valyear, K. F. & Culham, J. C., 28 May 2013, In: Elife. 2, p. e00425
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2012

  • PublishedfMRI repetition suppression for familiar but not arbitrary actions with tools
    Valyear, K. F., Gallivan, J. P., McLean, D. A. & Culham, J. C., 21 Mar 2012, In: Journal of Neuroscience. 32, 12, p. 4247-59 13 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2011

  • PublishedDecoding action intentions from preparatory brain activity in human parieto-frontal networks
    Gallivan, J. P., McLean, D. A., Valyear, K. F., Pettypiece, C. E. & Culham, J. C., 29 Jun 2011, In: Journal of Neuroscience. 31, 26, p. 9599-9610 12 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedTo use or to move: goal-set modulates priming when grasping real tools
    Valyear, K. F., Chapman, C. S., Gallivan, J. P., Mark, R. S. & Culham, J. C., Jul 2011, In: Experimental Brain Research. 212, 1, p. 125-42 18 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2010

  • PublishedObserving learned object-specific functional grasps preferentially activates the ventral stream
    Valyear, K. F. & Culham, J. C., May 2010, In: Journal of Cognitive Neurosience. 22, 5, p. 970-84 15 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedfMRI activation during observation of others' reach errors
    Malfait, N., Valyear, K. F., Culham, J. C., Anton, J-L., Brown, L. E. & Gribble, P. L., Jul 2010, In: Journal of Cognitive Neurosience. 22, 7, p. 1493-1503 11 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2007

  • PublishedDoes tool-related fMRI activity within the intraparietal sulcus reflect the plan to grasp?
    Valyear, K. F., Cavina-Pratesi, C., Stiglick, A. J. & Culham, J. C., 31 Mar 2007, In: Neuroimage. 36 , Suppl 2, p. T94-T108
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedOrientation sensitivity to graspable objects: an fMRI adaptation study
    Rice, N. J., Valyear, K. F., Goodale, M. A., Milner, A. D. & Culham, J. C., 31 Mar 2007, In: Neuroimage. 36 , Suppl 2, p. T87-93
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2006

  • PublishedA double dissociation between sensitivity to changes in object identity and object orientation in the ventral and dorsal visual streams: A human fMRI study
    Valyear, K. F., Culham, J. C., Sharif, N., Westwood, D. & Goodale, M. A., Feb 2006, In: Neuropsychologia. 44, 2, p. 218-28 11 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedDissociating arbitrary stimulus-response mapping from movement planning during preparatory period: evidence from event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging
    Cavina-Pratesi, C., Valyear, K. F., Culham, J. C., Köhler, S., Obhi, S. S., Marzi, C. A. & Goodale, M. A., 1 Aug 2006, In: Journal of Neuroscience. 26, 10, p. 2704-13 10 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedHuman parietal cortex in action
    Culham, J. C. & Valyear, K. F., Apr 2006, In: Current Opinion in Neurobiology. 16, 2, p. 205-212 8 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedThe fusiform face area is not sufficient for face recognition: evidence from a patient with dense prosopagnosia and no occipital face area
    Steeves, J. K. E., Culham, J. C., Duchaine, B. C., Pratesi, C. C., Valyear, K. F., Schindler, I., Humphrey, G. K., Milner, A. D. & Goodale, M. A., 1 Apr 2006, In: Neuropsychologia. 44, 4, p. 594-609 16 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedThe relationship between fMRI adaptation and repetition priming
    Ganel, T., Gonzalez, C. L. R., Valyear, K. F., Culham, J. C., Goodale, M. A. & Köhler, S., Sep 2006, In: Neuroimage. 32, 3, p. 1432-1440 9 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2005

  • PublishedNo evidence for visuomotor priming in a visually guided action task
    Cant, J. S., Westwood, D. A., Valyear, K. F. & Goodale, M. A., 7 Jan 2005, In: Neuropsychologia. 43, 2, p. 216-26 11 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • PublishedThe involvement of the "fusiform face area" in processing facial expression
    Ganel, T., Valyear, K. F., Goshen-Gottstein, Y. & Goodale, M. A., 25 Feb 2005, In: Neuropsychologia. 43, 11, p. 1645-54 10 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2003

  • PublishedPhotostimulation induces rapid growth of song-control brain regions in male and female chickadees (Poecile atricapilla)
    MacDougall-Shackleton, S. A., Hernandez, A. M., Valyear, K. F. & Clark, A. P., 17 Apr 2003, In: Neuroscience Letters. 340, 3, p. 165-8 4 p.
    Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Projects

  • Mapping the consequences of peripheral nerve transection and repair on brain organisation and hand function

    01/12/2019 – 30/11/2023 (Active)

    Layman's description

    When a nerve of the hand is cut, the signalling between the hand and brain is disrupted, and as a consequence, the brain changes. These injuries are extremely common, with significant and longstanding personal and societal costs. Better understanding the links between brain changes and functional recovery holds promise for improving patient outcomes, and reducing these costs. This is the purpose of the proposed research. We will investigate the clinical significance of nerve-trauma-related brain changes in patients who have undergone surgical repairs of the nerve(s) of the hand. Using our established functional MRI and behavioural methods, we expect to identify brain changes in patients that predict poor sensory performance of the injured hand. This research will significantly advance our understanding of the functional consequences of brain changes following nerve damage to the hand, and set the stage for the development of new rehabilitation therapies designed to help reverse these changes.

  • Improving child prostheses and rehabilitation of peripheral nerve injuries, using movement science

    01/08/2019 – 31/07/2021 (Finished)

    Description

    This research aims to (i) develop upper-limb prostheses for young children that work better and are easier to use, and (ii) better understand the real-world consequences of peripheral nerve injury to the hand, and associated brain changes. This requires high-precision recording of natural hand movements. Support from the Welsh Government Ser Cymru III Enhancing Competitiveness Infrastructure Award was used to purchase a state-of-the-art motion-capture system to enable this research.

  • Using paried-pulse TMS to investigate cortical mechanisms…

    01/08/2015 – 01/08/2019 (Finished)

    Links:

    • https://sites.google.com/site/kfvalyear/

Other Grants and Projects

Research Grants

Welsh Government Ser Cymru III Enhancing Competitiveness Infrastructure Award

Improving child prostheses, and rehabilitation of peripheral nerve injuries, using movement science. 

Principal Investigators: Ken Valyear; Simon Watt

March 2020 

£64,472

Wellcome Trust Seed Award in Science (215186/Z/19/Z)

Mapping the consequences of peripheral nerve transection and repair on brain organisation and hand function.

Principal Investigator: Ken Valyear

December 2019 – May 2022

£94,063

Knowledge Exchange Skills Scholarships (KESS) II: PhD Studentship

The sensory and motor consequences of using an injured hand

Principal Investigators: Ken Valyear; Simon Watt; Edwin Jesudason

PhD candidate: Michela Paroli

June 2017 – 2020

£69300

Royal Society Research Grant (RG150098)

Specifying possible actions with objects: Paired-pulse TMS investigations of the underlying neural mechanisms

Principal Investigator: Ken Valyear

Co-investigator: Cosimo Urgesi

December 2015 – 2016

£15000

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