Anna Shestakova
- Director: Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience
- Leading Research Fellow, Director: Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience / Centre for Cognition & Decision Making
- Programme Head of Academic Council: Cognitive Sciences and Technologies: From Neuron to Cognition
- Member of the HSE Academic Council
- Anna Shestakova has been at HSE University since 2013.
Education and Degrees
Thesis Title: ‘Sensory intelligence’ in the auditory cortex: brain responses to native and non-native phonetic stimuli Dissertation
St Petersburg State University
Neuroimaging Techniques
Master’s programme Cognitive Sciences and Technologies: From Neuron to Cognition
2017-2018
Courses (2024/2025)
- Neuroscience (Bachelor’s programme; Faculty of Social Sciences; 3 year, 2, 3 module)Eng
- Neuroscience (Mago-Lego; 2, 3 module)Eng
- Neuroscience (Master’s programme; Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience; 1 year, 2, 3 module)Eng
- Past Courses
Courses (2023/2024)
- Neuroscience (Master’s programme; Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience; 1 year, 2, 3 module)Eng
- Postgraduate seminar (Postgraduate course; 2 year, 2 semester)Rus
- Postgraduate seminar (Postgraduate course; 1 year, 2 semester)Rus
Courses (2022/2023)
- Multimodal Neuroimaging Part 1 (Master’s programme; Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience; 1 year, 3, 4 module)Eng
Courses (2021/2022)
- Multidimensional Neuroimaging (Master’s programme; Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience; 1 year, 3, 4 module)Eng
- Neuroimaging in cognitive neuroscience (Postgraduate course; 2 year, 1 semester)Rus
Courses (2020/2021)
- Cognitive Neuroscience (Bachelor’s programme; Faculty of Social Sciences; 4 year, 3 module)Rus
- Multidimensional Neuroimaging (Master’s programme; Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience; 1 year, 3, 4 module)Eng
Conferences
- 2016
Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroeconomics (Берлин). Presentation: Neural mechanisms of choice-induced preference change: EEG study
Biomag 2016 (Сеул). Presentation: MEG correlates of internalization of social influence
V СЪЕЗД ФИЗИОЛОГОВ СНГ (Сочи). Presentation: Механизмы обучения с подкреплением при социальном влиянии
Шестакова А.Н . Осадчий А. Е. Кравценюк О.В, Ключарев В.А. Магнитоэнцефалография м и оптическая топография – новейшие методы исследования когнитивного развития младенцев и детей младшего возраста. В: Современные проблемы нейронаук (ред. И.Ю. Павлов).. Изд-во СПбГУ 2010, 189с. ISBN-978-5-288-05032-9
Huotilainen M, Shestakova A, Hukki J. Using magnetoencephalography in assessing auditory skills in infants and children. Int J Psychophysiol. 2008 May;68(2):123-9.. Review.
Ylinen S, Shestakova A, Huotilainen M, Alku P, Naatanen R. Mismatch negativity (MMN) elicited by changes in phoneme length: a cross-linguistic study. Brain Res. 2006 Feb 9;1072(1):175-85.
Nenonen S, Shestakova A, Huotilainen M, Naatanen R. Speech-sound duration processing in a second language is specific to phonetic categories. Brain Lang. 2005 Jan;92(1):26-32.
Shestakova A., Brattico E., Soloviev A., Sams M., Huotilainen M. Orderly cortical representation of vowel categories presented by multiple exemplars. Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2004 Nov;21(3):342-50.
Shestakova A. ‘ Sensory intelligence’ in the auditory cortex: brain responses to native and non-native phonetic stimuli Dissertation . (http://ethesis.helsinki.fi/), 2004
Hukki J, Huotilainen M, Öhman J, Kushnerenko E, Shestakova A, Näätänen R. Measurements of electrical and magnetic brain activity help detecting brain dysfunctions in children with craniosynostoses. Proceedings of the Tenth International Congress of the International Society of Cranio Facial Surgery. Monterey USA, September 21-24, 2003, Editor(s): Salyer K.E.
Huotilainen M, Kujala A, Hotakainen M, Shestakova A, Kushnerenko E, Parkkonen L, Fellman V, Naatanen R.Auditory magnetic responses of healthy newborns. NeuroReport. 2003 Oct 6;14(14):1871-5.
Shestakova A, Huotilainen M, Ceponiene R, Cheour M. Event-related potentials associated with second language learning in children. Clin Neurophysiol. 2003 Aug;114(8):1507-12.
Nenonen S, Shestakova A, Huotilainen M, Naatanen R. Linguistic relevance of duration within the native language determines the accuracy of speech-sound duration processing. Brain Res Cogn Brain Res. 2003 May;16(3):492-5.
Čeponiene R, Lepisto T, Shestakova A, Vanhala R, Alku P, Naatanen R, Yaguchi K. Speech-sound-selective auditory impairment in children with autism: they can perceive but do not attend. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Apr 29;100(9):5567-72.
Shestakova A., Brattico E., Huotilainen M., Galunov V., Soloviev A., Sams M., Ilmoniemi RJ., Näätänen R. Abstract phoneme representations in the left temporal cortex: MEG study. NeuroReport 2002; 13(14):1813-1816
Cheour M., Shestakova A., Čeponiene R., Alku P., and Näätänen R. Cerebral mechanisms of native and foreign language learning in pre-school and young school age children. Neurosci Lett 2002; 325:117-120
Shestakova A., Čeponiene R., Alho K., Yagushi K. Location-based involuntary attention to auditory stimuli in children: evidence from event-related potentials. J Clin Neurophysiol 2002; 113:162-168
Čeponienė R., Yiaguchi K., Shestakova A., Alku P., Suominen K., and Näätänen R. Sound complexity and "speechness" effects on preattentive auditory discrimination in children. Int J Psychophysiol 2002; 43:199-211
Čeponiene R, Shestakova A, Balan P, Alku P, Yaguchi K, Näätänen R. (2001) Children's auditory event-related potentials index stimulus complexity and "speechness". Int J Neurosci 2001;109:245-260.
Sussman E., Čeponienė R., Shestakova A., Näätänen R., Istvan Winkler. Auditory stream segregation in school age children as indexed by the mismatch negativity (MMN) component. Hear Res 2001; 153 108-114.
Employment history
2014- current Director of the Centre for Cognition & Decision Making, Higher School of Economics, Moscow
2013 Head of the Laboratory for Cognition and Decision Making, Higher School of Economics, Moscow
2009-2014 Senior researcher, University of Saint Petersburg, Department of Psychophysiology of the Human Brain, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
2007-2008 Research fellow at the Centre for Speech, Language and the Brain, Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
2006-2007 Visiting researcher at the Centre for Developmental Language Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL, UK.
2004-2007 Post-doctoral researcher, University of Helsinki, Finland, Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and the BioMag Laboratory of Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.
1999-2004 PhD student, University of Helsinki, Finland, Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology, Helsinki University and the BioMag Laboratory,
1995-1998 PhD student, St.-Petersburg State University, Russia Department Physiology of Higher Nervous Activity and Psychophysiology, St. Petersburg, Russia
1994-1995 Research associate, Institute of Experimental Medicine, RAS, department of Neuropharmacology, Saint-Petersburg, Russia
Work experience
09.2013 – 12.2013 Interdisciplinary laboratory of decision making, CBR, HSE, Head of the laboratory;
10.2012 – 06.2013 Department of behavioral psychology and prevention of behavioral abnormalities, Saint Petersburg State University, RF, Associate Professor;
01.2010 – 2013 Postgraduate Training Network in Biotechnology of Neurosciences (BioN) (JEP EACEA EC Tempus project 59313-TEMPUS-I-2009-1-FI-TEMPUS-JPCR), member of the programme board and SPbSU local coordinator;
10.2009 Department of Higher Nervous Activity and Psychophysiology, SPbSU, RF Senior Researcher;
2007 – 2008 Centre for Speech, Language and the Brain, Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge, Cambrigde, UK, Research Fellow;
2006 – 2007 Centre for Developmental Language Disorders and Cognitive Neuroscience, UCL, London, UK, Visiting Researcher;
2004 – 2007 Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and the BioMag Laboratory of Helsinki University Hospital, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, Post-doctoral Researcher;
1999 – 2004 Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Department of Psychology and the BioMag Laboratory, Helsinki University, Helsinki, Finland, PhD Fellow;
1995 – 1998 Department Physiology of Higher Nervous Activity and Psychophysiology Saint Petersburg State University, Saint Petersburg, Russia, PhD Fellow;
1994 – 1995 Institute of Experimental Medicine, RAS, department of Neuropharmacology, Research Associate.
‘Scientists Work to Make This World a Better Place’
Federico Gallo is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Cognition and Decision Making of the HSE Institute for Cognitive Research. In 2023, he won the Award for Special Achievements in Career and Public Life Among Foreign Alumni of HSE University. In this interview, Federico discusses how he entered science and why he chose to stay, and shares a secret to effective protection against cognitive decline in old age.
Russian-Italian Projects in Biomedicine Discussed at HSE University
HSE University hosted an international mini-conference titled 'Search for new ways to develop Russian-Italian cooperation in the field of Biomedicine,' attended by scientists from both countries and HSE Rector Nikita Anisimov.
New Technologies for Preserving Brain Functions: ‘Not Magic, but Normal Engineering’
New methods of brain mapping will make it easier to identify the cortex areas responsible for speech functions and to perform operations on the brain, as well as reduce the likelihood of damage to important areas. In addition, this will allow for more frequent use of non-invasive methods for restoring speech and other functions lost due to injuries and illnesses.
‘We Are Developing Technologies to Support People and Strengthen the Intellect’
HSE News Service spoke to Director of the Institute of Cognitive Neurosciences, Head of the Centre for Cognition and Decision Making at HSE University, Anna Shestakova about the achievements and goals of the new HSE University’s strategic project ‘Human Brain Resilience: Neurocognitive Technologies for Adaptation, Learning, Development, and Rehabilitation in a Changing Environment’.
Results of HSE University’s Mirror Laboratories Contest Announced
This year, HSE University held the Mirror Laboratories project contest for the fourth time. A total of 19 applications were submitted to the contest from 16 HSE University research departments partnered with 16 organisations from 14 Russian regions. Following the contest results, 10 research projects received support.
PhD Dissertation Defense of Aleksei Gorin
Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience (Center for Cognition and Decision Making) is pleased to annouce the Ph.D. defense of Aleksei Gorin which will take place on 16th December, 2021 at 14.00. Thesis title: "Sensory neuroplacity elicited by auditory cued monetary outcomes". The defense will be held online.
“Applied Cognitive Science” Summer School. How was it?
This year the 3d “Applied Cognitive Science” Summer School was held by our Lab. Unfortunately, we were forced to meet via online because of pandemic situation. Nonetheless, these conditions did not affect on shool program: it was intense and engaging.
Cutting Edge Neuroscience Research to Be Discussed during Online Conference at HSE University
The first International Conference on Social Neurology in Environmentally Sound Conditions, organized by the International Laboratory of Social Neurobiology of the Institute of Cognitive Neurosciences and Aalto University will be held online on June 21-23, 2021. The HSE News Service spoke with conference organisers and some of the key speakers in the run-up to the conference about its agenda and some research highlights.
Losing Money Multiple Times Causes Plastic Changes in the Brain
Researchers at the HSE Institute for Cognitive Neuroscience have shown experimentally that economic activity can actively change the brain. Signals that predict regular financial losses evoke plastic changes in the cortex. Therefore, these signals are processed by the brain more meticulously, which helps to identify such situations more accurately. The article was published in Scientific Reports.
Congratulations to our graduates!
Teachers of the School of Psychology and the Institute of Cognitive Neurosciences congratulate 2020 graduates.
Neuroscientists Know How Much You’re Willing to Pay for Something
A project developed by a group of three HSE psychology students received the award for best biotech project at the Entrepreneurial Breakthrough of the Year competition held by the Skolkovo Moscow Business School. A grant to study at Skolkovo was awarded to Andrei Kislov, Egor Levchenko, and Egor Selivanov for their work on neuromarketing technology that determines the subjective cost of a good based on electroencephalographs.
HSE — Mapping the Brain's Potential
Can the brain be linked directly to the computer? What areas of the brain are involved in speech recognition? What impacts on decision-making and how to other people influence this process? Can you calculate people's inclination to take risks? Participants in the 'Cognitive Control, Communication and Perception: Psychological and Neurobiological Aspects' conference, which took place September 29-30, 2015 at the Center for Neuro-economics and Cognitive Research at HSE.
HSE Scholars Co-author International Encyclopaedia of the Brain
HSE Scholars Co-author International Encyclopaedia of the Brain Vasily Klucharev, Leading Research Fellow at the HSE Centre for Cognition & Decision Making, and Anna Shestakova, Director of the Centre, have become co-authors of a chapter in ‘Brain Mapping’, a three-volume encyclopaedic collection.