Neural Mechanisms Underlying Processing in the Visual Areas of the Occipital and Temporal Lobes Thesis Title: Neural Mechanisms Underlying Processing in the Visual Areas of the Occipital and Temporal Lobes

Acknowledgements I have been fortunate enough to enjoy myself both at work and play whilst in Oxford. This is in no small part thanks to the great bunch of friends and colleagues who have helped gainfully occupy my time over the last three and more years. I am of course primarily grateful to SERC for my grant, my parents for their nancial help and not least to my supervisor, Edmund Rolls, who apart from providing me with constant support and input, has given me the opportunity to beneet from a large, well equipped laboratory shared with a diverse and enthusiastic group of fellow researchers. In addition, I would like to thank Roland Baddeley, Peter FF oldii ak, Shigeru Shinomoto and Alessandro Treves for their direct innuence and guidance, and without whose help much of this work would have been impossible. Since there is also a tradition to mention friends as well as colleagues, I have prepared a list of those whom I shall think of in years to come. Firstly, I want to thank Mum, Dad, Mark, Simon and Nicky-my family, for providing me with welcome and needed escape just when I needed it, and then to identify a few close friends and the fondest moments I associate with them. Anna-Lisa, who through great adversity has remained one of my dearest and most stalwart friends, eating pumpkin pie or stir fry, or a swim in the Cowley pool. Ali, enjoying her cookies and company late into a Sunday night, in front of her little gas re watching a crap lm. Geoo, only the second true male conndant I've had, with wit and a warm heart mixed with Van Morrison and port. Hugo, listening to Psychic T.V. and Gong on a trip to Thor's Cave with Cheryl. Richard, witty, fun-loving, misanthropic punter extraordinaire who deserves a break, at his house for a party or a lazy Sunday afternoon reading Cosmo and Marie Claire, or aerobie in the park and swimming at Marston Ferry. Amanda, a caring woman with a refreshing, cut-the-crap frankness, sat amongst a dinner party for the ve-thousand in her at, or hurtling around the late night streets of Oxford in her shabby, dear old Saab. Roland Baddeley, a nice bloke with enthusiasm for all occasions and pursuits, eating a big fry-up at his house or knocking back punch at a fancy dress party. Natalia, full and kind hearted …