Arthur Shapiro

Arthur Shapiro is a Professor in the Computer Science department at American University, with affiliations in the Psychology Department and Undergraduate Neuroscience program. He serves as a Faculty for Undergraduate Neuroscience and is a member of the Society for Neuroscience, Psychonomic Society, and Vision Sciences Society.

Shapiro specializes in visual perception and neuroscience, focusing on color perception, motion illusions, visual camouflage, and low-light-level vision. His work leverages computational methods to create visual illusions that uncover relationships between perception, brain function, and physical phenomena.

His 15 most recent publications (2016–2010) address visual illusions, contrast mechanisms, and object perception, with keywords spanning neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and artificial intelligence. Sub-fields include feature binding, motion aftereffects, and computational modeling.

Scientific Awards:

• Top 10 illusions of the year (2008) – Dramatically Different Percepts between Foveal and Peripheral Vision
• Top 10 illusions of the year (2008) – Perpetual Collisions
• Third prize Top 10 illusions of the year (2007) – Where Has All the Motion Gone?
• Top 10 illusions of the year (2007) – Swimmers, Eels and Other Gradient-Gradient Illusions
• Top 10 illusions of the year (2007) – Weaves’ and the Hermann Grid
• First prize Top 10 illusions of the year (2005) – Motion-Illusion Building Blocks

Grants and Professional Service: Shapiro has secured funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (1992–2003) and the Medical Research Foundation of Oregon (1995–1997). He has served as a judge for the Best Illusion of the Year contest (2006) and co-curator for Vision Sciences Society Demonstration Night (2007–2009).