Heidi Baseler
Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor)

Profile

Biography

• Dartmouth College, USA – AB, Biology/Psychology (1986)
• University of California Berkeley, USA – PhD, Vision Science (1995)

Career

• Stanford University, Research fellow, Department of Psychology (1996-1999)
• Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, San Francisco, Research fellow/Consultant, (1999-2002)
• University of York, Research fellow, Department of Psychology (2008-2012)
• Hull York Medical School, Lecturer in Imaging Sciences (2012-2021)
• Hull York Medical School, Senior Lecturer in Imaging Sciences (2021-present)

Departmental roles

• INSPIRE Programme Lead (undergraduate research) (Hull York Medical School)
• York Neuroimaging Centre Research Ethics and Governance Committee (Psychology)
• York Neuroimaging Centre Science Committee (Psychology)

University roles

• Centre for Hyperpolarisation in Magnetic Resonance (CHyM) Management Committee
• Involvement@York Steering Group (Public and Patient Involvement in Research)
• York Biomedical Research Institute member, Neuroscience

Research

Overview

My current research focus is to understand the neural mechanisms specialised for processing central and peripheral vision, and how these mechanisms respond to sensory loss (visual or auditory).

I am a member of the Experimental Medicine and Biomedicine research group in the Hull York Medical School and a member of the York Biomedical Research Institute.

Projects

• Monitoring changes in the brain and eyes in patients with visual deficits (e.g. age-related macular degeneration, genetic visual disorders, brain trauma)
• Developing and monitoring neuroprotection using photobiomodulation (670nm light)
• Understanding the relationship between age-related macular degeneration and cognitive function
• Measuring the effects of COVID-19 on memory and cognitive function
• Investigating behavioural and brain mechanisms of global form/pattern processing
• Determining the neural basis of superior visual performance in deaf adults

Techniques:

• Neuroimaging: Structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), myelin mapping
• Electrophysiology: Multifocal electroencephalography (EEG), electroretinography (ERG)
• Other methods: Visual psychophysics, computational modelling, online behavioural testing and questionnaires

Research group(s)

Current research students

• Leah Kelly (PhD student, Psychology, University of York)
• Martin Scott (PhD student, Psychology, University of York)
• Rebecca Lowndes (York Neuroimaging Centre, University of York)
• Erin English (PhD student, Psychology, University of York)

Grants

• Vice-Chancellor's Teaching Award, University of York, 2020
• Exceptional Contribution to Student Experience, Hull York Medical School, 2018
• Phase I Teacher of Excellence Award Finalist, Hull York Medical School, 2018
• Phase II Teacher of Excellence Award Finalist, Hull York Medical School, 2018
• Phase I Teacher of Excellence Award Finalist, Hull York Medical School, 2016

Collaborators

• Archana Airody (Ophthalmology, York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust)
• Murat Aksoy (University of Hull)
• Aziz Asghar (Hull York Medical School, University of Hull)
• Dan Baker (Psychology, University of York)
• Holly Brown (Psychology, University of Huddersfield)
• Charlotte Codina (Ophthalmology & Orthoptics, University of Sheffield)
• Elizabeth Fear (Chemistry, University of York)
• Richard Gale (Ophthalmology, York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust)
• Angela Green (Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust)
• Koen Haak (Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Netherlands)
• Michael Hoffmann (University of Magdeburg, Germany)
• Glen Jeffery (Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London)
• Aneurin Kennerley (Chemistry, University of York)
• Alexandra Levine (Brain and Mind Institute, Western University, Canada)
• Barbara Molz, PhD (Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Netherlands)
• Tony Morland (Psychology, University of York)
• Abayomi Salawu (Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust)
• Alex Wade (Psychology, University of York)

Publications

Full publications list

Visit Dr Heidi Baseler's profile on the York Research Database to see a full list of publications, browse activities and projects, explore connections, collaborations, related work and more.

• Google Scholar

Teaching

Undergraduate

Medicine, Year 1:

• Foundations of Medicine
• The Central Nervous System and Normal Neuromuscular and Musculoskeletal Function
• Psychological Health
• Scholarship and Special Interest Programme: Neuroscience of Vision

Medicine, Year 2:

• Neurological, Neuromuscular and Musculoskeletal Disease

Postgraduate

• MSc Cognitive Neuroscience: Project supervision

External activities

Memberships

• Yorkshire Vision Network
• Applied Vision Association
• Color and Vision Network
• Women in Vision UK

Editorial duties

• Ad hoc reviewer for various publications in neuroscience and vision