Barbara Blatchley Ph.D.

About

Barbara Blatchley, Ph.D., is a professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Agnes Scott College in Decatur, Georgia. Dr. Blatchley earned her doctorate in Experimental Psychology at the University of South Carolina, focusing on auditory system development. She also worked at the University of Wisconsin (Madison) as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Neurophysiology Department studying the role of early auditory experience on the development of ITD and IID responses in the inferior colliculus. Her research interests focus broadly on sensory system development and perceptual processing. Since coming to Agnes Scott, in addition to co-founding the neuroscience program there, Dr. Blatchley has enjoyed working with students on developing their own research projects in a wide variety of areas in neuroscience. She is the author of Statistics in Context, an introductory statistics textbook, and, most recently What Are the Chances? Why We Believe in Luck.

Books by Barbara Blatchley Ph.D.

Recent Posts

Does Loss of Memory Equal Loss of Emotion?

Memories are deeply intertwined with emotions. Does loss of memory mean loss of emotion as well? Research suggests this may not be the case.

Air Pollution and Alzheimer's Disease

Exposure to air pollution has many known health risks. A new study links exposure to traffic-related air pollution to an increased risk of Alzheimer's Disease.

Theta Waves and Human Memory

Research has linked writing with a pen to enhanced theta wave activity in the brain and to enhanced memory. It may be that taking notes the old-fashioned way is best.

What Fruit Flies Can Tell Us About Our Own Aggression

Humans, and other animals, are innately aggressive. Learning how the brain controls and manages persistent aggression may help us learn to control our aggressive impulses.

A Link Between Sleep Deprivation and Alzheimer's Disease?

Sleep may be essential to our brain health in more ways than one. Sleep deprivation has been linked to an increased risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Pharmacokinetics and Addiction

New research suggests that fast entry into the brain activates a different network in the brain (the salience network) than does slow entry.

Vagus Nerve Activity and Social Sensitivity

Individual differences in heart rate variability may serve as a marker for differences in social sensitivity and emotional reactivity.

Using the Retina as a Biomarker for Brain Function

There's an old saying that the eyes are the windows to the soul. However, it may be more accurate to say that the eyes are the windows to brain function.

Rumination, Worry and the Brain

Rumination and worry have been linked to susceptibility to depression. New research may point to a potential biomarker for depressive rumination.

How Loneliness Can Affect Brain Function

Feelings of being isolated and misunderstood are at the root of loneliness, and now research shows that lonely people may use their brains in idiosyncratic ways.