Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

Accept all cookies Reject all non-essential cookies Find out more

Social Media

Sijia Zhao

BSc (UCL), MSc (UCL), DPhil (UCL)

Postdoctoral Research Associate

I am a postdoc with Prof Masud Husain, investigating the mechanisms underlying motivation and apathy in both health and diseases.

In general, I am interested how the human brain constructs a model of the environment to effectively adapt in an ever-changing world and evaluate how much effort to exert. Before joining Oxford, I did my undergraduate in Neuroscience, Master’s in Computer Science and PhD in Auditory Neuroscience, all at University College London. My past research focused on the role of the neuromodulator noradrenaline in tracking the statistics of our surroundings. I specialise in EEG, pupillometry and microsaccade, and I am also experienced with running human behavioural experiments online.

Now, I am expanding my research to dopamine and examine a neurocomputational account of motivation and effort in various populations.

Research groups

Recent publications