Profile

Dr. Tony Herdman’s research program focuses on understanding the brain dynamics that underlie many psychological phenomena involved in auditory and visual perceptions, attention, language and memory. He uses behavioural, eye-tracking, and electrophysiological (EEG & MEG) measures to study fundamental principles of these systems and how they develop. One main line of investigation is providing insights into how experience with visual objects (such as letters and words) alters brain dynamics and neural-network communications in typically-developing readers and dyslexics. Another research stream is looking at how auditory selective attention and visual novelty detection in children are affected by socioeconomic disparities. Dr. Herdman is also conducting research in the fields of cognition & memory and neuroimaging methodology. Dr. Herdman is particularly fascinated by how a brain functions and communicates across multiple dimensions (space, time, and frequency) and how such communication is altered by experience as a brain develops its abundant abilities.

Media Links

BC’s Year of Science Profile: http://www.yearofsciencebc.ca/stories-scientists-and-careers/featured-scientists/tony-herdman/

Globe & Mail Article on “Orchid Children”: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/how-to-raise-an-orchid-child-to-blossom/article1854895/

Selected Publications

• Moiseev, A., Gaspar, J.M., Schneider, J.A., and Herdman, A.T. (2011) Application of Multi-Source Minimum Variance Beamformers for Reconstruction of Correlated Neural Activity. NeuroImage. 58(2):481-496.
• Herdman, A.T. (2011). Neuroimaging evidence for top-down maturation of selective auditory attention. Brain Topography, Special Issue. 24(3-4):271-278.
• Herdman, A.T. (2011). Functional communication within a perceptual network processing letters and pseudoletters. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology. 28(5):441-449.
• Doesburg, S.M., Ribary,U., Herdman, A.T., Miller, S.P., Poskitt, K.J.,  Moiseev, A., Whitfield,M.F., Synnes, A., Grunau, R.E. (2011) Altered long-range alpha-band synchronization during visual short-term memory retention in children born very preterm. NeuroImage. 54(3): 2330-2339
• Doesburg, S.M., Ribary,U., Herdman, A.T., Moiseev, A., Cheung,T., Miller, S.P., Poskitt, K.J.,  Weinberg, H., Whitfield, M.F., Synnes, A., Grunau, R.E. (2011) Magnetoencephalography reveals slowing of peak oscillatory frequency in children born very preterm. Pediatric Research. 70(2): 171-175
• Doesburg, S., Herdman, A.T., Ribary, U., Cheung, T., Moiseev, A., Weinberg, H., Liotti, M., Weeks, D., and Grunau, R.E. (2010) Long-range synchronization and local desynchronization of alpha rhythms during visual short-term memory retention in children. Experimental Brain Research. 201(4): 719-727.
• Beg, M.F., Wong, .S, Khan, A.R., Cheung, T., Virji-Babul, N., and Herdman, A.T. (2009) External landmark and head-shape-based functional data normalization. Computerized Medical Imaging and Graphics. 33(7): 501-509.
• Ishii, R., Canuet, L., Chau, W.,  Herdman, A.T., Gunji, A., Robinson, S.E., Pantev, C., and Takeda, M. (2009) Cortical oscillatory power changes during auditory oddball task revealed by spatially filtered magnetoencephalography. Clinical Neurophysiology. 120(3): 497-504.
• Riggs, L., Moses, SN., Bardouille, T., Herdman, AT., Ross, B., Ryan, JD (2009) A complementary analytic approach to examining medial temporal lobe sources using magnetoencephalography. Neuroimage. 45:627-642.
• D’Angiulli, A., Herdman, A.T., Stapells, D.R., Hertzman, C. (2008) Childrens’ brains and socio-economic status: a selective attention ERP study. Neuropsychology. 22(3): 293-300.
• Ryan, J.D., Moses, S.N., Ostreicher, M., Bardouille, T., Herdman, A.T., Riggs L., and Tulving, E. (2008) Seeing sounds and hearing sights: The influence of prior learning on current perception. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 20(6): 1030-1042.
• Herdman, A.T., Pang, E., Ressl, V., Gaetz, W., & Cheyne D. (2007) Task-related modulation of early evoked responses during language production: An event-related synthetic aperture magnetometry study. Cerebral Cortex. 17: 2536-2543.
• Herdman, A.T. and Ryan J. (2007) Spatiotemporal brain dynamics underlying saccade execution, suppression, and error-related feedback. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 19(3): 420-432.
• D’Angiulli, A., Grunau, P., Maggi, S., and Herdman, A.T. (2006) Electroencephalographic correlates of prenatal exposure to alcohol in infants and children: a review of findings and implications for neurocognitive development. Alcohol. 40: 127-133.
• Itier, R., Herdman, A.T., George, N., Cheyne, D., and Taylor, M.J. (2006) Inversion and contrast-reversal effects on early face processing assessed by MEG. Brain Research. 1115(1): 108-120.
• Herdman, A.T., Fujioka, T., Chau, W., Ross, B., Pantev, C., and Picton T.W. (2006) Cortical oscillations related to processing congruent and incongruent grapheme-phoneme pairs. Neuroscience Letters. 399(1-2): 61-66.
• Ross, B., Herdman, A. T., and Pantev, C. (2005) Right hemispheric laterality of human 40-Hz auditory steady state responses. Cerebral Cortex, 15(12): 2029-2039.
• Ross, B., Herdman, A.T., and Pantev, C. (2005) Stimulus induced desynchronization of the auditory 40-Hz steady-state response. Journal of Neurophysiology, 94(6): 4082-4093.
• Ross, B., Picton, T. W., Herdman, A. T., Hillyard, S. A., and Pantev, C. (2004) The effect of attention on the auditory steady-state response. Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, 22: 1-4.
• Herdman, A.T., Fujioka, T., Chau, W., Ross, B., Pantev, C., and Picton T.W. (2004) Cortical oscillations modulated by congruent and incongruent audiovisual stimuli. Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, 15: 1-6.
• Herdman, A.T., Wollbrink, A., Chau, W., Ishii, R., Ross, B., and Pantev, C. (2003). Determination of activation areas in the human auditory cortex by means of synthetic aperture magnetometry. NeuroImage, 20(2): 995-1005.
• Herdman, A.T., and Stapells, D.R. (2003) Auditory steady-state response thresholds of adults with sensorineural hearing impairments. International Journal of Audiology, 42: 237-248.
• Herdman, A.T., Lins, O., Van Roon, P., Stapells, D.R., Scherg, M., and Picton, T.W. (2002) Intracerebral sources of human auditory steady-state responses. Brain Topography, 15(2): 69-86.
• Herdman, A.T., Picton, T.W., and Stapells, D.R. (2002) Place specificity of multiple auditory steady-state responses. Journal of the Acoustical Society of America, 112(4): 1569-1582.
• Herdman, A. T., and Stapells, D. R. (2001) Thresholds determined using the monotic and dichotic multiple auditory steady-state response technique in normal-hearing subjects. Scandinavian Audiology, 30: 41-49.

Teaching

AUDI 515  Hearing Science II

This course is the Audiology graduate students’ second course in hearing science. It covers cochlear physiology in greater detail than AUDI 514, and covers central auditory anatomy and physiology from 8th nerve to cortex. Advanced issues are linked to laboratory experiences (e.g., active/passive mechanisms in the cochlea are linked to a lab on otoacoustic emissions). Psychoacoustics of more complex stimuli are covered.  Class size is small (~12 students). Format is seminars (70%) and labs (30%).

AUDI 558  Physiological Measures of Auditory Function

This course is the Audiology graduate students’ in-depth course auditory evoked/event-related potentials and otoacoustic emissions. Because of its importance for clinical practice, major emphasis is placed on the auditory brainstem (ABR) and auditory steady-state (ASSR) responses. Throughout the course, basic science aspects of these measures, as well as state-of-the-art techniques and measures, are provided in order to give students a solid foundation and the ability to adapt to future developments. Considerable hands-on experience is provided. The course includes a critical consideration of clinical protocols. In special cases, 1-2 graduate students from other Faculties/Departments may take this course. Class size is small (~12 students). Format is 50% lecture/seminar and 50% labs.