Rate My Professor Stephen Hall

Professor Stephen Hall holds the position of Professor in Human Neuroimaging in the School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, at the University of Plymouth. He earned his PhD in Human Neuroscience from Aston University. As Director and Founder of the Brain Research & Imaging Centre (BRIC), Hall oversees one of the most advanced multi-modal brain research facilities in South West England. BRIC integrates cutting-edge technologies including a 3-Tesla MRI scanner, electroencephalography laboratories, non-invasive brain stimulation, and the UK's first transcranial ultrasound stimulation research centre. His leadership fosters interdisciplinary collaborations with neuroscientists, psychologists, clinicians, engineers, and partners such as University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and DDRC Healthcare to advance understanding of brain structure and function in health and disease.

Hall's research specializations encompass human neuroimaging and neuroscience, focusing on neural mechanisms of brain rhythms, movement control, neuroplasticity, neuromodulation via focused ultrasound, responses to hypoxia and hyperoxia, anxiety networks, sleep perception, and applications to Parkinson's disease and mental health. Notable contributions include investigations into transcranial focused ultrasound effects on deep cortical regions, bradykinesia in Parkinson's, and environmental factors like space flight impacts on the brain. Key publications feature 'Transcranial focused ultrasound-mediated neurochemical and functional connectivity changes in deep cortical regions in humans' (2023), 'Neural responses to acute hypoxia and hyperoxia' (2026), 'Power Profiles of an extended depth of focus contact lens for Myopia Management' (2026), 'Characterising the anxiogenic network from functional connectivity analysis of the CO2 challenge model' (2024), and 'Characterising the inconsistency between perceived and actual sleep and its impact upon cognition and mood' (2024). Hall has delivered the inaugural professorial lecture 'Rhythms of the brain' as part of the University of Plymouth's public research programme. His work drives innovations in neurotechnology, brain-computer interfaces, and therapeutic interventions.