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MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit

In research, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit stands highest in Cognitive Neuroscience (#225 of 530 worldwide), Life Sciences (#5,513 of 7,800 worldwide) and Neuroscience (#1,058 of 1,168 worldwide), 2022–2025. Relative to its size it is most specialised in Cognitive Neuroscience, Neuroscience and Psychology — Cognitive Neuroscience is 50.1× its share of world research.

mrc-cbu.cam.ac.ukROR OpenAlex
World rank, 2022–2025
#9,108
of 28,054 · #4,696 all time
Rank in United Kingdom
#340
of 1,094
Research works
1.5k
▼ 18% vs 2013–17
Citations
153k
99.8 per fractional work
Top-10% rate
35.4%
record average 16.5%
Open access
58%
world 28%

What is MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit known for in research?

The fields where it stands highest, 2022–2025, ranked among every institution above the floor in each field.

FieldWorld rankWhere that sitsTop-10% rateWorksAll time
Cognitive NeuroscienceSubfield #225 of 530 35.5%66 #82
Life SciencesDomain #5,513 of 7,800 34.4%80 #2428
NeuroscienceField #1,058 of 1,168 34.2%75 #688

Each strip is that field’s whole ranked pool, with the notch where MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit sits in it, in the colour of the band that rank falls in. The track under the rate is the rate itself: it carries no world mark, because the world rate differs by field (from about 6% to 21% in this record).

Which of those standings moved

The same fields on both windows: where it stood over the whole record, and where it stands in 2022–2025. The distance is the story, and it is the one thing the two rank columns above cannot show.

  1. Cognitive Neuroscience#82 #225
  2. Life Sciences#2,428 #5,513
  3. Neuroscience#688 #1,058
all time2022–2025, better2022–2025, worse

A dot further right is a better standing. Fields it was not ranked in over the whole record are left out.

What does MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit specialise in?

Where its research is concentrated relative to its size: Cognitive Neuroscience takes 50.1× the share of its output that it takes of world research.

  1. Cognitive NeuroscienceSubfield · 65.8 works50×
  2. NeuroscienceField · 75.1 works26×
  3. PsychologyField · 40.2 works7.3×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient, a volume reading rather than an impact one. It surfaces small, lopsided specialities.

Field profile

Location quotient across every field it publishes in: outside the ring is more than an institution of this size would be expected to publish, inside it is less.

Agricultural and Biological Sciences: 0.03× its world share, 0 worksAgricultural and Bio…Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology: 0.43× its world share, 4 worksBiochemistry, Geneti…Immunology and Microbiology: 0.09× its world share, 0 worksImmunology and Micro…Neuroscience: 25.69× its world share, 75 worksNeuroscienceChemistry: 0.09× its world share, 0 worksChemistryComputer Science: 0.56× its world share, 8 worksComputer ScienceEngineering: 0.15× its world share, 4 worksEngineeringEnvironmental Science: 0.06× its world share, 1 worksEnvironmental ScienceMaterials Science: 0.06× its world share, 0 worksMaterials ScienceMathematics: 0.50× its world share, 1 worksMathematicsPhysics and Astronomy: 0.14× its world share, 0 worksPhysics and AstronomyHealth Professions: 0.49× its world share, 2 worksHealth ProfessionsMedicine: 0.93× its world share, 32 worksMedicineNursing: 0.13× its world share, 0 worksNursingArts and Humanities: 0.34× its world share, 2 worksArts and HumanitiesBusiness, Management and Accounting: 0.09× its world share, 0 worksBusiness, Management…Decision Sciences: 0.71× its world share, 1 worksDecision SciencesEconomics, Econometrics and Finance: 0.01× its world share, 0 worksEconomics, Econometr…Psychology: 7.33× its world share, 40 worksPsychologySocial Sciences: 0.33× its world share, 8 worksSocial Sciences1×world share
more than its size predictsabout as predictedless

Rings at 0.5×, 1× and 2×. Widest outward: Neuroscience, 25.7×. Every wedge is a field page.

Who are the top researchers at MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit?

Ranked on the composite score, Karalyn Patterson, William D. Marslen‐Wilson and Matthew H. Davis lead among researchers whose main affiliation is MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit.

  1. 1 Karalyn Patterson United Kingdom · #9,627 worldwide 1.1k citations · 57 works
  2. 2 William D. Marslen‐Wilson United Kingdom · #28,402 worldwide 576 citations · 42 works
  3. 3 Matthew H. Davis United Kingdom · #30,019 worldwide 461 citations · 39 works
  4. 4 Friedemann Pulvermüller United Kingdom · #31,193 worldwide 539 citations · 44 works
  5. 5 Tim Dalgleish United Kingdom · #45,812 worldwide 578 citations · 54 works
  6. 6 Richard N. Henson United Kingdom · #89,916 worldwide 386 citations · 53 works
  7. 7 Barbara A. Wilson United Kingdom · #157,711 worldwide 349 citations · 94 works
  8. 8 Robert P. Carlyon United Kingdom · #222,834 worldwide 182 citations · 62 works
  9. 9 Amy Orben United Kingdom · #252,660 worldwide 159 citations · 25 works
  10. 10 Dennis Norris United Kingdom · #345,296 worldwide 212 citations · 35 works
All ranked researchers at MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit

Which keywords describe research at MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit?

By fractional works in 2022–2025, weighted toward what it does more of than the world: Neural Mechanisms, Emotion Regulation, Neurological Disorders, Cognitive Control, Functional Connectivity, Prefrontal Cortex, Working Memory and Default Mode Network.

▲ more of its work than of the world’s◆ about the world’s share▼ less than the world’s

Size is fractional works in 2022–2025 in the topics tagged with each word; colour is the word's share of this institution's work against its share of the world's. The 40 words are chosen for being large and distinctive. Each links to the topic it comes from most.

All 40 words, with their numbers
  1. Emotion Regulation16▲ 29×8 topics
  2. Neural Mechanisms16▲ 98×4 topics
  3. Neurological Disorders14▲ 14×9 topics
  4. Cognitive Control13▲ 126×2 topics
  5. Functional Connectivity12▲ 52×3 topics
  6. Prefrontal Cortex12▲ 82×3 topics
  7. Working Memory12▲ 71×3 topics
  8. Default Mode Network11▲ 86×1 topic
  9. Resting-State fMRI11▲ 86×1 topic
  10. Neuronal Oscillations11▲ 81×2 topics
  11. Language Development9▲ 43×5 topics
  12. Cortical Networks9▲ 86×1 topic
  13. Synchronization9▲ 41×1 topic
  14. Cognitive Decline9▲ 41×2 topics
  15. Neuroimaging9▲ 18×9 topics
  16. Social Cognition9▲ 28×8 topics
  17. Decision Making8▲ 15×3 topics
  18. Neuroimaging Studies8▲ 89×2 topics
  19. Executive Functions8▲ 78×2 topics
  20. Depression8▲ 4.9×13 topics
  21. Neurobiology8▲ 17×8 topics
  22. Adolescent Brain Development8▲ 119×1 topic
  23. Attentional Networks8▲ 119×1 topic
  24. Psychopathology7▲ 23×3 topics
  25. Hearing Loss7▲ 35×3 topics
  26. Bilingualism7▲ 29×3 topics
  27. Neural Basis7▲ 45×3 topics
  28. Neural Circuits7▲ 43×3 topics
  29. Neural Correlates7▲ 39×7 topics
  30. Motor Imagery6▲ 28×2 topics
  31. Brain-Computer Interfaces6▲ 34×1 topic
  32. EEG Analysis6▲ 34×1 topic
  33. Functional Neuroimaging6▲ 70×2 topics
  34. Language Processing6▲ 136×1 topic
  35. Semantic Memory6▲ 136×1 topic
  36. Syntax6▲ 46×2 topics
  37. Social Isolation6▲ 15×2 topics
  38. Speech Perception5▲ 36×3 topics
  39. Anxiety Disorders5▲ 26×2 topics
  40. Neurodegeneration5▲ 9.7×8 topics

Which research topics does MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit publish most on?

By volume in 2022–2025: Functional Brain Connectivity Studies, Neural dynamics and brain function, Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies and EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces.

Functional Brain Connectivity Studies: 11 fractional worksNeural dynamics and brain function: 9 fractional worksNeural and Behavioral Ps…8Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies: 8 fractional worksEEG and Brain-Computer I…6EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces: 6 fractional worksNeurobiology of Language and Bilingualism: 6 fractional worksHearing Loss and Rehabilitation: 5 fractional worksMemory and Neural Mechan…4Memory and Neural Mechanisms: 4 fractional worksDementia and Cognitive Impairment Research: 4 fractional worksMental Health Research Topics: 4 fractional worksChild and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development: 3 fractional works
Cognitive NeurosciencePsychiatry and Mental healthExperimental and Cognitive PsychologyClinical Psychology

Area is fractional works; colour is the subfield each topic belongs to.

  1. 1 Functional Brain Connectivity Studies Cognitive Neuroscience 11 works
  2. 2 Neural dynamics and brain function Cognitive Neuroscience 9 works
  3. 3 Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies Cognitive Neuroscience 8 works
  4. 4 EEG and Brain-Computer Interfaces Cognitive Neuroscience 6 works
  5. 5 Neurobiology of Language and Bilingualism Cognitive Neuroscience 6 works
  6. 6 Hearing Loss and Rehabilitation Cognitive Neuroscience 5 works
  7. 7 Memory and Neural Mechanisms Cognitive Neuroscience 4 works
  8. 8 Dementia and Cognitive Impairment Research Psychiatry and Mental health 4 works
  9. 9 Mental Health Research Topics Experimental and Cognitive Psychology 4 works
  10. 10 Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development Clinical Psychology 3 works

How open and international is its research?

Against the world’s own shares — the tick on each track. Both are shares of its output, so they sit on one scale and can be read against each other as well as against the world.

openly available58.0%not open42.0%

World: 28% of research is openly available.

with international co-authors37.0%domestic only63.0%

World: 19% is written across borders.

How has MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit's research output changed?

Output in 2018–2022 was 18% lower than in 2013–2017.

1990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Other research institutions in Cambridge

All research institutions in Cambridge

Research measures only: rankings here say nothing about teaching, admissions or student experience. Comparable institutions and collaboration partners are in the interactive view on the map.