My PhD project
In this project I am investigating cortical plasticity in brain regions mediating the representation of object categories. I use functional brain imaging to investigate experience-driven changes in object category representations. My supervisor was dr. Miranda van Turennout from May 2004 to september 2007. From October 2007 my supervisor is prof. dr. Guillén Fernández. My promotor is prof. dr. Peter Hagoort.
For the different studies within my PhD project I collaborated with prof. dr. Jaap Murre, dr. Peter Indefrey, and drs. Joost Wegman. Studies marked by are part of my PhD project.

Publications
van der Linden, M., van Turennout, M., Fernández, G. (in press). Category training induces crossmodal object representations. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.

van der Linden, M., van Turennout, M., Indefrey, P. (2010). Formation of category representations in superior temporal sulcus. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience 22(6). pdf

van der Linden, M., Murre, J.M.J., van Turennout, M. (2008). Birds of a Feather Flock Together: Experience-Driven Formation of Visual Object Categories in Human Ventral Temporal Cortex. PLoS ONE 3(12). link

Posters
Bastiaansen, M.C.M., van der Linden, M., ter Keurs, M., Dijkstra, T., & Hagoort, P. (2001). Open-class words produce a larger theta power increase than closed-class words. Poster presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting, New York City, USA.

Van der Linden, M., van Dijk, J., & van Turennout, M. (2003). Context-dependent activity in auditory cortex during speech perception. Poster presented at the 9th Annual Meeting of The Organization for Human Brain Mapping, New York City, USA.

Van Turennout, M., van der Linden, M., Wagensveld, B., & Toni, I. (2003). Cortical plasticity in phonetic representations during speaking. Poster presented at the 9th Annual Meeting of The Organization for Human Brain Mapping, New York City, USA.

Van der Linden, M., van Dijk, J., & van Turennout, M. (2003). Context-dependent brain activity during speech perception: an fMRI study. Poster presented at the 9de Wintercongres Nederlandse Vereniging voor Psychonomie, Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands.

Van Turennout, M., van der Linden, M., Wagensveld, B., & Toni, I. (2003). Cortical plasticity in phonetic representations during speaking. Poster presented at the 9de Wintercongres Nederlandse Vereniging voor Psychonomie, Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands.

Van der Linden, M., Chwilla, D. J., & van Turennout, M. (2004). The neural correlates of a semantic integration network as revealed by repetition suppression: an fMRI study. Poster presented at the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting, San Francisco, USA.

Van der Linden, M., Van Elswijk, G., Murre, J., & Van Turennout, M. (2005). Cortical Plasticity in the Representation of Object Categories. Poster presented at the 11th Annual Meeting of The Organization for Human Brain Mapping, Toronto, Canada.

Wegman, J., Van der Linden, M., Murre, J.,  & Van Turennout, M. (2006). Classifying subjective ratings of movie features using brain imaging data: Support Vector Regression on functional MRI. Poster presented at the 12th Annual Meeting of The Organization for Human Brain Mapping, Florence, Italy.

Van der Linden, M., Indefrey, P., & Van Turennout, M. (2006). Perceptual and conceptual category representations in the human brain. Poster presented at the 12th Annual Meeting of The Organization for Human Brain Mapping, Florence, Italy.

Van der Linden, M., & Van Turennout, M. (2007). The formation of crossmodal object categories in the adult human brain. Poster presented at the Concepts Actions and Objects workshop, Rovereto, Italy

Van der Linden, M., & Van Turennout, M. (2007). The formation of crossmodal object categories in the adult human brain. Poster presented at the 30th European Conference on Visual Perceprion, Arezzo, Italy

Wegman, J. & Van der Linden, M. (2008). Feature sensitivity as a result of visual categorization. Poster presented at the Donders Discussions, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Wegman, J. & Van der Linden, M. (2008). Feature sensitivity as a result of visual categorization. Poster presented at the 31st European Conference on Visual Perception, Utrecht, The Netherlands.

Van der Linden, M., Murre, J., & Van Turennout, M. (2005). Cortical Plasticity in the Representation of Object Categories. Paper presented at the 4th Endo-Neuro-Psycho-Meeting, Doorwerth, The Netherlands

Van der Linden, M., Murre, J., & Van Turennout, M. (2005). The Neural Mechanisms Underlying the Formation of New Object Categories. Paper presented at the 14th conference of the European Society for Cognitive Psychology, Leiden, The Netherlands.

Van der Linden, M., Van Elswijk, G., Murre, J., & Van Turennout, M. (2005). Cortical Plasticity in the Representation of Object Categories. Paper presented at the 11th Annual Meeting of The Organization for Human Brain Mapping, Toronto, Canada.

Indefrey, P. & van der Linden, M. (2008). Learning of concepts: a Cognitive neuroscience perspective. Invited talk at the symposium Seeing for Speaking, Heidelberg, Germany.

Awards
Travel Award OHBM 2003 (New York City, USA)
Travel Award OHBM 2005 (Toronto, Canada)
Travel Award CAOS 2007 (Rovereto, Italy)

Other
10th place in Pittsburgh Brain Activity Interpretation Competition 2006