Matthew Rodger

I am interested in perceptual-motor coordination and skill acquisition, with a specific focus on auditory-motor coordination. My research includes questions of how people time movements to auditory events, such as synchronising with a beat, walking to rhythmic sounds (particularly as an aid for gait in Parkinson's disease), or catching a moving object without vision. I am interested in how ‘movement sonification’ (using motion capture data to trigger sounds in real-time) can be used as feedback to enhance learning of motor skills. This involves research into both fundamental questions of perceptual-motor learning, as well as applications to habilitation for children and adults with Visual Impairments. I also research skill acquisition in music performance, including understanding how sound-movement coupling emerges through musical training, techniques to enhance musical skill acquisition, and understanding skilful adaptability in the context of music improvisation. Across all these topics, I want to understand how perceptual information can guide skilful action, as well as the implications for understanding the embodied mind.

Current PhD students:

• Bonnie Smith
• Michal Toth
• Rober Acheson (co-supervisor)
• Anna Carapellotti (co-supervisor)
• Yang Yang (co-supervisor)

Former PhD students:

• Gerard Breaden-Madden
• John Dyer
• Zara Gibson
• Alannah Savage
• Lilian Simones
• James Stafford