The Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit is a branch of the UK Medical Research Council, based in Cambridge, England. The CBSU is a world-leading centre for cognitive neuroscience, with a mission to improve human health by understanding and enhancing cognition and behaviour in health, disease and disorder. Established in 1944 as the MRC Applied Psychology Unit, it is one of the largest and most long-lasting contributors to the development of psychological theory and practice. The CBSU has its own Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI, 3T) scanner on-site, as well as a 306-channel Magnetoencephalography (MEG) system and a 128-channel Electroencephalography (EEG) laboratory.
The CBSU is now an internationally leading centre for research in the cognitive sciences and neurosciences, with close links to clinical neuroscience research in the University of Cambridge Medical School. Over 140 scientists, students, and support staff work in research areas such as Memory, Attention, Emotion, Speech and Language, Development and Aging, Computational Modelling and Neuroscience Methods. With dedicated facilities available on site, the Unit has particular strengths in the application of neuroimaging techniques in the context of well-developed neuro-cognitive theory.
Kenneth Craik 1944-45
Frederic Bartlett 1945-51
Norman Mackworth 1951-58
Donald Broadbent 1958-74
Alan Baddeley 1974-97
William Marslen-Wilson 1997-2010
Susan Gathercole 2011-