Stephen B.R.E. Brown Ph.D
Stephen completed his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology/Cognitive Neuroscience in 2015 at Leiden University (The Netherlands). His dissertation focused on the role of the locus coeruleus, a small brainstem nucleus, and noradrenaline (a signalling chemical in the brain) in attention and learning. Following his dissertation, he completed a postdoctoral project in the field of health psychology, focusing on the effects of reduced heart rate variability on stress. Before that, Stephen obtained a M.Sc. in Developmental Psychology and Cognitive Psychology and a B.Sc. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands). He has taught several courses in the field of psychology, ranging from academic writing to psychopharmacology and cognitive neuroscience at the University of Amsterdam, Leiden University, and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology. He currently teaches full time at Red Deer Polytechnic. Stephen is particularly interested in cognitive neuroscience, the relationship between brain and behaviour, sensation and perception, and the process of aging of the brain.
Ph.D. (Cognitive Psychology/Cognitive Neuroscience), Leiden University (The Netherlands)
M.Sc. (Developmental Psychology and Cognitive Psychology), University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
B.Sc. (Developmental Psychology), University of Amsterdam (The Netherlands)
Introductory Psychology, Data Analysis, Brain and Behaviour, Sensation and Perception
Selected Publications
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Brown, S.B.R.E. (2023). The persistence of matching teaching and learning styles: A review of the ubiquity of this neuromyth, predictors of its endorsement, and recommendations to end it. Frontiers in Education, 8:1147498.
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Duthie-Woodford, K.L., & Brown, S.B.R.E. (2022). Early prisoner release due to COVID-19: Effects on Canadians’ opinions. Canadian Journal of Undergraduate Research, 7, 36-40.
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Brown, S.B.R.E., Brosschot, J.F., Versluis, A., Thayer, J.F., & Verkuil, B. (2020). Assessing new methods to optimally detect episodes of non-metabolic heart rate variability reduction as an indicator of psychological stress in everyday life: A thorough evaluation of six new methods. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 14:564123.
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Jepma, M., Brown, S.B.R.E., Murphy, P.R., Koelewijn, S.C., de Vries, B., van den Maagdenberg, A.M., & Nieuwenhuis, S. (in press). Noradrenergic and cholinergic modulation of belief updating. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. [shared first-authorship]
- Brown, S.B.R.E., Brosschot, J.F., Versluis, A., Thayer, J.F., & Verkuil, B. (2018). New methods to optimally detect episodes of non-metabolic heart rate variability reduction as an indicator of psychological stress in everyday life. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 131, 30-36.
- Hommel, B., Brown, S.B.R.E., & Nattkemper, D. (2016). Human action control: From intentions to movements. New York: Springer.
- Tona, K.-D., Murphy, P.R., Brown, S.B.R.E., & Nieuwenhuis, S. (2016). The accessory stimulus effect is mediated by phasic arousal: A pupillometry study. Psychophysiology, 53, 1108-1113.
- Naber, M., Brown, S.B.R.E., Vedder, A., & Nieuwenhuis, S. (2016). Speed and lateral inhibition of stimulus processing contribute to individual differences in Stroop-task performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 7:822.
- Brown, S.B.R.E., Slagter, H.A., van Noorden, M.S., Giltay, E.J., van der Wee, N.J.A., & Nieuwenhuis, S. (2016). Effects of clonidine and scopolamine on multiple target detection in rapid serial visual presentation. Psychopharmacology, 233, 341-350.
- Brown, S.B.R.E., van der Wee, N.J.A., van Noorden, M.S., Giltay, E.J., & Nieuwenhuis, S. (2015). Noradrenergic and cholinergic modulation of late ERP responses to deviant stimuli. Psychophysiology, 52, 1620-1631.
- de Rover, M., Brown, S.B.R.E., Band, G.P.H., Giltay, E.J., van Noorden, M.S., van der Wee, N.J.A., & Nieuwenhuis, S. (2015). Beta receptor-mediated modulation of the oddball P3 but not error-related ERP components in humans. Psychopharmacology, 232, 3161-3172.
- Brown, S.B.R.E., Tona, K.-D., van Noorden, M. S., Giltay, E. J., & van der Wee, N.J.A. (2015). noradrenergic and cholinergic effects on speed and sensitivity measures of phasic alerting. Behavioral Neuroscience, 129, 42-49.
- Brown, S.B.R.E., van Steenbergen, H., Kedar, T., & Nieuwenhuis, S. (2014). Effects of arousal on cognitive control: Empirical tests of the conflict-modulated Hebbian learning hypothesis. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 8:23.
- de Rover, M., Brown, S.B.R.E., Boot, N., Hajcak, G., van Noorden, M.S., van der Wee, N.J., & Nieuwenhuis, S. (2012). Beta receptor-mediated modulation of the late positive potential in humans. Psychopharmacology, 219, 971-979.
- Brown, S.B.R.E., van Steenbergen, H., Band, G.P.H., de Rover, M., & Nieuwenhuis, S. (2012). Functional significance of the emotion-related late positive potential. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 6:33.
- Brown, S.B.R.E., & Ridderinkhof, K. R. (2009). Aging and the neuro-economics of decision-making: A review. Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience, 9, 365-379.
Conference Presentations
- Brown, S.B.R.E., van der Wee, N.J.A., van Noorden, M.S., Giltay, E.J., & Nieuwenhuis, S.. Noradrenergic and cholinergic modulation of late ERP responses to deviant stimuli. Nederlandse Vereniging voor Psychonomie, Egmond aan Zee, December 19, 2015
- Brown, S.B.R.E., van Steenbergen, H., Kedar, T., & Nieuwenhuis, S.. Effects of arousal on cognitive control: Empirical tests of the conflict-modulated Hebbian learning hypothesis. Nederlandse Vereniging voor Psychonomie, Egmond aan Zee, December 20, 2013
Community Involvement
- Fundamentals of Sensation and Perception, Three Hills
- Stoicism: How to never worry again, Three Hills
- The cognitive neuroscience of memory, Three Hills
- The effect of recreational drugs on the brain, Three Hills
- The history of psychology, Three Hills
- How drugs can be used to attain our potential, Liemers College, Zevenaar
- How drugs can be used to attain our potential, Mensa October Weekend Conference, Elspeet
- Functional imaging of the locus coeruleus, Frontiers of Science Course for Master’s Biomedical Science students, Leiden University
- The motivated neuron: The neural basis of decision-making, Hearts and Minds Symposium for the 435th anniversary of Leiden University
Current Research
I have recently co-supervised student research projects on heart rate variability in children (co-supervision with dr. Anomi Bearden) and help-seeking behaviour in statistics and mathematics (co-supervision with dr. Reiko Yeap) and I am currently supervising student research on the opinions of people about early release of prisoners due to COVID-19.
Professional and/or RDP Leadership
- Member of the Agora organizing committee since 2019
- Chair of Leiden University’s PhD Student Association, 2011-2012