SHORT RESEARCH STATEMENT
My research deals with human learning and performance, particularly (but not exclusively) of motor actions. Generally, I am interested in what leads someone to become an expert musician, a great medical surgeon or an elite athlete. I am specially interested in understanding how the brain mediates this process. To investigate these issues I use behavioral and neuroscientific techniques to probe brain function during the acquisition and performance of skills.

I work with Dr. Rich Ivry in the Cognition and Action Lab

EDUCATION

 2005-            PhD Program in Cognition Brain and Behavior - Psychology Department, UC Berkeley
2002-2005   Master of Science (Kinesiology), Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC, Canada
1998-2001   Bacharel em Esporte, Universidade de São Paulo, Brasil


AWARDS

2007-2009    Doctoral Research Award - Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
2006-2009    Postgraduate Fellowship - Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council
                            (NSERC) of Canada
2006               Graduate Students Present Award - Cognitive Neuroscience Society (CNS)
2005               Franklin Henry Young Scientist Award - SCAPPS
2005               Ebco/Epich Graduate Scholarship in Expert Systems
2003/2004    Gordon Diewert Memorial Graduate Scholarship
2003/2004    Graduate Fellowship - Simon Fraser University
2001               Vide Video Experimental Video Festival Winner



PUBLICATIONS

Oliveira, F.T.P. (forthcoming) A pratica que leva à perfeição: Estratégias cognitivas para a aprendizagem e o desempenho expoente no esporte. [The practice that makes perfect: Cognitive strategies for expert learning and performance in sports]. Book Chapter in Portuguese

Oliveira, F.T.P., Ivry, R.B. (2008) The representation of action: Insights from bimanual coordination, Current Directions in Psychological Science, 17(3), 130-135 (pdf)

Oliveira, F.T.P., McDonald, J.J. & Goodman, D. (2007) Performance monitoring in anterior cingulate is not all error related: Expectancy deviation and the representation of action-outcome associations, Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 19(12), 1994-2004 (pdf)

Oliveira, F.T.P. (2005) Short of the goal. Sports Coach, 28, 30-31 (pdf)
    reprinted  at Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director (2006), 75(9), 58-59                                    

Oliveira, F.T.P., Elliott, D. & Goodman, D. (2005) Energy-minimization bias: compensating for intrinsic influence of energy-minimization mechanisms. Motor Control, 9, 101-114. (pdf)

Oliveira, F.T.P. & Goodman, D. (2004) Conscious and effortful or effortless and automatic: a practice performance paradox. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 99, 315-324. (pdf)


RECENT POSTERS

Oliveira, F.T.P., Johnson, R.C. & Ivry, R.B. (2007) Modulation of medial prefrontal activity by task difficulty. Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting. San Diego, November, 2007. (pdf)

Oliveira, F.T.P., Duque, J., Grafton, S.T., & Ivry, R.B. (2007) When reaching for an object, which hand do you use? TMS to parietal cortex influences hand choice. Progress in Motor Control VI. Santos, Brazil, August, 2007. (pdf)


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