Craig Chapman, PhD

Email

cschapma@ualberta.ca

Phone

(780) 492-3839

Address

4-222 Van Vliet Complex - West

8831 116 St NW

Edmonton AB

T6G 2H9

Degrees
PhD (Psychology), University of Western Ontario, 2011
MSc (Psychology), University of Western Ontario, 2007
BSC (Cognitive Systems), University of British Columbia, 2004

Background
Dr. Chapman started the ACELab when he joined the University of Alberta as an Assistant Professor in January, 2013.  Before that, he was a post-doctoral fellow at UBC, working with Drs. Jim Enns, Todd Handy and Alan Kingstone.  Before THAT, he was a graduate student at UWO, working with Dr. Mel Goodale. And BEFORE THAT, he was a UBC undergraduate, born and raised in the Fraser Valley (Go Canucks!).

Dr. Chapman is passionate about his science, and about his family – ask a few questions, and he’ll talk for hours, often very loudly. Although he never really knows how to answer the question, when asked by non-neuroscientists, “What do you do”? or “What are you?” the best answer he can give is to call himself a Movement and Decision-making Neuroscientist.

In the ACELab, we study what appear to be simple motor behaviours like reaching to take a sip of tea from a mug on a messy desk.  These actions are simple in that we never even have to think of them, but they only appear that way, because the exact way the brain accomplishes the control of these movements remains a scientific mystery and baffles even the most complex robot.

At the heart of the ACELab research enterprise is the question: What can we learn about human thought by studying human movement?  Under this general research question, we are pursuing the following specific research projects:
1.    Factors influencing motor plan competition
2.    Neural signatures of decision making
3.    Economic decision making in action
4.    How hedonic preferences shape movements
5.    Developing outcome metrics for prosthetic limb patients

Dr. Chapman teaches: PEDS 203 - Skill Acquisition and Performance

Dr. Chapman currently supervises (or co-supervises) 3 graduate students and is currently accepting applications for additional graduate student positions.

There are also many opportunities for undergraduates to get involved with research the ACELab - please contact Dr. Chapman if you are interested.

Dr. Chapman currently supervises (or co-supervises) 3 graduate students and is currently accepting applications for additional graduate student positions.

There are also many opportunities for undergraduates to get involved with research the ACELab - please contact Dr. Chapman if you are interested.