Contact information
01865 610482
Holly Bridge
MA, MSc, DPhil
Professor of Neuroscience
- Chair of Public Engagement and Communications Committee
Neuroimaging of the visual system in health and disease
My research uses non-invasive human brain imaging to understand the organisation of the visual system in both people with normal vision and those who have abnormal visual function.
I perform research in two main groups of subjects: people who are blind due to anophthalmia (absence of the eyes) and people who have suffered damage to their visual cortex due to a stroke, trauma or following brain tumours. To investigate these groups, I use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine the changes in the function of the visual areas as well as structural differences and changes in connectivity.
I hope that in the long term it will be possible to use our understanding of the changes in the brain following damage to allow intervention to maximise the remaining vision for these patients, reducing the potential impact on daily living.
While our group has a population of blind subjects and patients with damage to the visual cortex, we are always interested in meeting new patients. If you think you may be interested in taking part in some of our studies, please use my contact details to get in touch.
I am also a stipendiary lecturer at New College, Oxford, teaching Neuroscience to undergraduates in medicine, biomedical sciences and psychology.
Key publications
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Blindsight relies on a functional connection between hMT+ and the lateral
geniculate nucleus, not the pulvinar
Journal article
Bridge H. and Ajina S., PLoS Biology
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Human blindsight is mediated by an intact geniculo-extrastriate pathway.
Journal article
Ajina S. et al, (2015), Elife, 4
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Short-term monocular deprivation alters GABA in the adult human visual cortex.
Journal article
Lunghi C. et al, (2015), Curr Biol, 25, 1496 - 1501
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Abnormal contrast responses in the extrastriate cortex of blindsight patients.
Journal article
Ajina S. et al, (2015), J Neurosci, 35, 8201 - 8213
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Motion area V5/MT+ response to global motion in the absence of V1 resembles early visual cortex.
Journal article
Ajina S. et al, (2015), Brain, 138, 164 - 178
Recent publications
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The effect of congenital and acquired bilateral anophthalmia on brain structure
Journal article
BRIDGE H. et al, (2020), Neuro-Ophthalmology
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The Superior Colliculus and Amygdala Support Evaluation of Face Trait in Blindsight.
Journal article
Ajina S. et al, (2020), Front Neurol, 11
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Relating Eye Dominance to Neurochemistry in the Human Visual Cortex Using Ultra High Field 7-Tesla MR Spectroscopy
Conference paper
Ip IB. et al, (2019), 2019 International Conference on 3D Immersion, IC3D 2019 - Proceedings, 2019-January
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Structural and functional brain reorganisation due to blindness: The special case of bilateral congenital anophthalmia.
Journal article
Bridge H. and Watkins KE., (2019), Neurosci Biobehav Rev, 107, 765 - 774
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Normative cerebral cortical thickness for human visual areas.
Journal article
Alvarez I. et al, (2019), Neuroimage, 201