Find Academic Supervisors

Laurie WilcoxView profile

Professor

• Vision Science
• Neuroscience
• Binocular Vision
• +4 more

Laurie Wilcox is a Full Professor in the Department of Biology at York University, affiliated with the Faculty of Science. Her research focuses on stereopsis, binocular vision, and depth perception, particularly exploring how the visual system processes binocular disparity signals. She leads a laboratory investigating cortical systems for fine and coarse disparities, with studies on amblyopia and applied collaborations with companies like Christie Digital and IMAX. Her work bridges basic neuroscience and applied research, addressing depth perception in 2D/3D displays and VR environments. Key interests include stereoscopic volume representation, perceptual grouping, and the impact of monovision on depth judgments. Recent studies examine lightness constancy in virtual reality, depth magnitude errors in 3D displays, and neural activation patterns in object-selective visual cortex. Wilcox has published extensively on binocular vision mechanisms, including coarse stereopsis in strabismus patients and the role of motion parallax in depth perception. Her applied projects evaluate visual fidelity in stereoscopic content, compression algorithms, and ergonomic considerations for XR devices. She also investigates how environmental context (e.g., familiar size, natural scenes) modulates depth perception accuracy across real and virtual environments. Her research emphasizes translational applications, aiming to optimize display technologies through insights from human visual processing. Ongoing work explores perceptual integration of binocular and monocular cues, attention modulation by depth, and the neurophysiological underpinnings of stereoscopic vision.

Steve LuckView profile

Professor

• Attention
• Working Memory
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• +3 more

Steve Luck is a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Davis, holding appointments in the Department of Psychology and the Center for Mind and Brain (CMB). He served as CMB Director from 2009–2019 and is affiliated with the UC Davis MIND Institute and the Center for Neuroscience. His research focuses on attention, working memory, and cognitive dysfunction in psychiatric disorders (e.g., schizophrenia), employing ERP recordings, eye tracking, and behavioral methods. He is a leading developer of ERP methodologies, including the ERPLAB Toolbox and global ERP Boot Camp workshops. Education: Ph.D., Neurosciences, UC San Diego, 1993 M.S., Neurosciences, UC San Diego, 1989 B.A., Psychology, Reed College, 1986 Research Interests: Dr. Luck explores mechanisms of cognitive control, with a focus on working memory's role in guiding attention. His lab investigates ERP correlates of attentional deficits in schizophrenia and develops standardized ERP protocols. Recent work emphasizes multivariate decoding of EEG signals and transdiagnostic neurocognitive biomarkers. Awards: Troland Award (2001) APA Distinguished Scientific Award (1998) McGuigan Young Investigator Prize (2004) Elected Fellow, Society of Experimental Psychologists and AAAS Teaching & Leadership: Professor Luck pioneered hybrid course formats in Cognitive Science and teaches advanced topics in perception and cognitive neuroscience. He co-founded the UC Davis Cognitive Science major and advocates for innovative undergraduate education models. Labs & Collaborations: The Luck Lab integrates clinical and basic research, collaborating globally on ERP method development and schizophrenia biomarker studies. Key projects include ERP Core resources and the CNTRACS consortium for neurocognitive reliability studies.

Shinsuke ShimojoView profile

Professor

• Neuroscience
• Psychophysics
• Cognitive Science
• +4 more

Shinsuke Shimojo is the Gertrude Baltimore Professor of Experimental Psychology at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). He holds a B.A. (1978), M.A. (1980) from the University of Tokyo, and a Ph.D. (1985) from MIT. At Caltech, he has served as Associate Professor (1997–98), Professor (1999–2010), and Baltimore Professor (2010–present). His research focuses on perceptual decision-making, implicit cognition, and the neural mechanisms underlying sensory perception and social interaction. His work employs advanced methods like fMRI, EEG, and transcranial stimulation to study topics such as crossmodal integration, visual illusions, and the social brain. Shimojo leads the Shimojo Psychophysics Laboratory, collaborating with institutions like NTT Communication Science Laboratories, Harvard MGH, and MetaModal Inc. His lab investigates phenomena like sensory substitution, team flow dynamics, and human magnetoreception. Notable achievements include pioneering studies on the 'gaze cascade effect' and developing the ePlegona game system for studying team flow. Awards include the Red Dot Design Concept Award (2024) and grants from JST CREST and MEXT gCOE programs. His research bridges cognitive and neuroscience disciplines, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to understanding human perception and decision-making. Current projects explore implicit brain functions, social communication, and the neural correlates of emotional decisions. Shimojo also contributes to science communication through his column in Asahi Shimbun and public outreach via YouTube demonstrations of visual illusions.

Curtis Lee BakerView profile

Professor

• Visual Perception
• Neurophysiology
• Computational Modeling
• +7 more

Curtis Lee Baker is a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences at McGill University's Faculty of Medicine, with an associate appointment in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. His research focuses on understanding human visual perception through neural mechanisms relevant to real-world visual processing. His laboratory investigates how early visual processing detects complex cues like contrast, texture, and motion to establish figure-ground relationships and depth perception. Key research areas include: Neural mechanisms of second-order vision Texture and motion processing Figure-ground segregation Depth perception from motion parallax Computational modeling of visual cortex Dr. Baker employs diverse methodologies including single-unit electrophysiology, optical imaging, human psychophysics, and machine learning. His recent publications (2022-2014) demonstrate consistent focus on neural processing of visual boundaries, texture perception, and motion-based depth cues, with increasing integration of computational approaches like convolutional neural networks. His work bridges neuroscience, engineering, and computational modeling to understand fundamental visual processing mechanisms. Current students include Ana Ramirez Hernandez, Jinani Sooriyaarachchi, and Ethan Pirso, with several alumni having completed graduate work in neuroscience, physiology, and biomedical engineering. The lab actively recruits students with quantitative backgrounds for projects involving signal processing, machine learning, and neurophysiological data analysis.

David HuberView profile

Professor

• Cognitive Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Memory Processes
• +7 more

David Huber is a Professor in Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado. He holds a PhD from Indiana University (2000). His research focuses on human perception, memory, and decision-making from a computational perspective, integrating behavioral studies with neuroimaging techniques (fMRI, ERP) and computational models (Bayesian, neural networks). Key areas include visual cognition, spatial navigation models, memory retrieval dynamics, and priming effects. Education: PhD in Psychology from Indiana University (2000). Research emphasizes mechanisms underlying memory processes, perceptual adaptation, and the neural basis of cognitive functions. Recent work challenges traditional roles of hippocampal place/grid cells, proposing memory-centric models. He explores how perceptual fluency influences decision-making and juror cognition, with studies on serial dependence and gestalt principles in binocular rivalry. His neurocomputational methods include fMRI-based tuning function analysis and virtual electrophysiology modeling. Publications span over two decades, focusing on memory models (SAM-RI), neural habituation, and Bayesian modeling of brain activity. His work advocates for rigorous model-driven approaches in cognitive neuroscience.

Richard BornView profile

Professor

• Systems & Integrative Neuroscience
• Visual Perception
• Cortical Circuitry
• +4 more

Richard Born is a Professor of Neurobiology at Harvard Medical School , focusing on the circuitry of the mammalian cerebral cortex and its role in visual perception. His lab employs multi-species approaches, combining primate psychophysics and electrophysiology rodent 2-photon imaging and optogenetics hierarchical Bayesian modeling of perceptual inference to investigate cortico-cortical feedback, neural variability, and context-dependent visual processing. Research Interests span visual systems neuroscience, with emphasis on top-down modulation of sensory processing binocular rivalry and perceptual states gamma oscillations and neural synchrony input-gain control in V1/V2/V3 Bayesian brain frameworks neuroanatomical connectomics Recent work explores layer 1 dendritic interactions with somatostatin interneurons and collaborations with institutions like Boston University and the University of Rochester. Advising includes mentoring postdoctoral fellows (Ariana Sherdil, Camille Gómez-Laberge, Abhinav Grama) and students at Harvard Medical School. The lab utilizes advanced techniques including multi-electrode arrays laminar probes optogenetic perturbation DTI tractography validation for circuit analysis.

Michael A. SilverView profile

Associate Professor

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Visual Perception
• Attention
• +5 more

Michael A. Silver is an Associate Professor in the School of Optometry and Vision Science at UC Berkeley, with affiliations in the Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute and the Department of Psychology. His research focuses on cognitive neuroscience, particularly the neurophysiological and neurochemical substrates of visual perception, attention, and learning. He leads the Silver Lab, which investigates topics such as visual attention mechanisms, perceptual learning, cholinergic pharmacology, and the effects of psychedelics on brain function. Silver holds a Ph.D. from UCSF and has been recognized with grants from the NIH, NSF, and private foundations. Education: B.S. Biological Sciences and Chemistry (Carnegie Mellon, 1991); Ph.D. Neuroscience (UCSF, 1999). Awards include the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Predoctoral Fellowship and Hellman Family Faculty Fund. He mentors graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in vision science and neuroscience. Research interests span visual neuroscience, including the impact of psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin) on neural substrates of perception and cognition. His lab collaborates with institutions like Stanford University and UC Irvine to explore therapeutic applications of psychedelics and age-related auditory decline. Key projects include cholinergic modulation of attention and perceptual learning, and functional subdivisions of the lateral geniculate nucleus. Recent articles highlight studies on attentional modulation of visual crowding, effects of psychedelics on predictive coding, and GABA levels in amblyopia. Silver teaches courses on visual cognitive neuroscience and supervises over 20 graduate students and postdocs. His grants total over $5M, supporting work on nicotine therapy for auditory decline and psychedelic science.

Colin PalmerView profile

Research Fellow

• social vision
• sensory processing
• face perception
• +7 more

Dr. Colin Palmer is a Visiting Fellow in the School of Psychology at the University of New South Wales (UNSW), where he conducts research on visual perception with a focus on social features of our sensory environment. His work examines how the brain processes elements like eyes, faces, and behaviors of people around us using visual psychophysics, computational modeling, and 3D graphical rendering. Dr. Palmer completed his Ph.D. in 2016 and Bachelor of Behavioural Neuroscience (Honours) in 2009, both at Monash University. His doctoral research explored how neurocognitive models of sensory processing relate to differences in sensory integration and social cognition in autism. His primary research interests center on understanding the perceptual and neural mechanisms underlying our sensitivity to dynamic social cues, particularly eye and head movements. Dr. Palmer investigates how the visual system extracts basic environmental elements (color, shape, motion) and develops a mechanistic understanding of how our experience of the social world arises from nervous system activity. His work has clinical applications for understanding sensory and social difficulties in conditions like autism and schizophrenia. Dr. Palmer's recent publications reveal a consistent focus on social vision, particularly gaze perception, face processing, and animacy detection. His research increasingly incorporates computational modeling approaches to understand visual perception mechanisms. There's a strong emphasis on how lighting and shading affect face and gaze perception, with growing attention to clinical applications for neurodevelopmental conditions. Dr. Palmer has received recognition for his work through several awards: Emerging Investigator Award, Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Society, 2017 Postdoctoral presentation award, Australasian Cognitive Neuroscience Society, 2016 Dr. Palmer is actively involved in research supervision and teaching. He teaches PSYC 3221 Vision and Brain and is available to supervise research students. His research is supported by significant funding: ARC Discovery Project (2020-2022): "Extracting meaning from motion" ($492,000) ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (2019-2021): "Human sensitivity to the dynamics of other people's eye movements" ($356,000) Experimental Psychology Society Study Visit Grant (2017): "Testing computational theories of autism spectrum disorder in the social domain" (£2,580) Dr. Palmer collaborates extensively with Professor Colin Clifford at UNSW and maintains international collaborations with researchers in the UK and Australia, particularly on projects related to autism spectrum disorders and social cognition.

Diane M BeckView profile

Professor

• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Attention
• Visual Perception
• +3 more

Diane M Beck is Professor and Head of Psychology at the University of Illinois, with additional affiliations in the Neuroscience Program and Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley. Her research investigates cognitive processes and neural mechanisms underlying visual perception and attention. Key interests include: Factors determining visual awareness and object representation Neural constraints on simultaneous item processing Attention modulation in visual cortex Efficient processing of natural scenes Roles of statistical regularities in perception Methodologies include fMRI, behavioral experiments, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Research publications demonstrate strong emphasis on visual cognition (58%), attention mechanisms (25%), and neural encoding of statistical regularities (17%), with neuroimaging being the primary methodology (72% of recent works). Directs the Attention and Perception Lab, advising 4 current graduate students and 18+ alumni. Major collaborators include Fei-Fei Li (Stanford), Kara Federmeier (Illinois), and Gabriele Gratton (Illinois).

Melanie WilkeView profile

Professor

• Cognitive Neurology
• Neural Mechanisms of Perception
• Visual Consciousness
• +12 more

Professor Melanie Wilke is a leading figure in cognitive neurology at the University Medical Center Göttingen, where she serves as Director of the Department of Cognitive Neurology and Head of the MR Research Unit. She is also a Co-Investigator in the 'Decision and Awareness' group at the German Primate Center. Her work bridges human and non-human primate neuroscience to investigate the neural basis of perception, awareness, and movement planning. Her research focuses on understanding how distributed neural activity supports spatial awareness and decision-making. Key areas include thalamocortical interactions, neural mechanisms of spatial neglect, and translational models of cognitive disorders. She employs multimodal methods such as fMRI, electrophysiology, brain stimulation (tACS, tDCS, TMS), and inactivation techniques in both human and monkey models. Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on visual consciousness, neural connectivity, and sensorimotor integration. Her work frequently explores the role of the pulvinar and parietal cortex in attention and awareness, using innovative paradigms including no-report tasks and microstimulation. There is a clear translational trajectory from basic mechanisms to clinical applications in stroke and Parkinson’s disease. Fellows Award for Excellence in Biomedical Research, National Institutes of Health, USA (2008) Prof. Wilke leads a dynamic research group and mentors students within several graduate programs, including Systems Neuroscience and the International Max Planck Research School (IMPRS). Her team conducts cutting-edge research using advanced imaging and stimulation techniques. She has secured long-term support through the Herman and Lilly Schilling Foundation Professorship (2011–2022) and continues to lead major projects in cognitive neurology and brain network dynamics. Her laboratory, embedded in the Heart & Brain Center Göttingen, fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and focuses on developing novel therapeutic interventions for cognitive deficits following brain injury. The MR Research Unit under her leadership is central to advancing non-invasive brain imaging and stimulation in both research and clinical contexts.

• speech perception
• Auditory Perception
• Sleep
• +7 more

Howard Nusbaum is a Professor in the Psychology Department within the Social Sciences Division at the University of Chicago. His research has focused since 1986 on perceptual learning, attention, and working memory, with significant contributions to understanding speech perception, auditory processing, and more recently, the science of wisdom. His laboratory employs a wide range of methods including high-density EEG, fMRI analysis, auditory brainstem recordings, and sophisticated speech analysis tools. Education: BA in Computer Science and Psychology from Brandeis University (1976) PhD in Cognitive Psychology from State University of New York at Buffalo (1981) Postdoctoral training in Speech, Hearing, and Sensory Communication from Indiana University (1984) Nusbaum's research investigates how humans learn and process speech and other auditory information, with particular emphasis on the role of attention, working memory, and sleep in perceptual learning. His laboratory has made groundbreaking contributions, including the first scientific evidence for sleep consolidation of generalized learning, the first behavioral evidence for functional effects of sleep consolidation in songbirds, and the discovery that adults can learn perfect pitch with this learning dependent on working memory capacity. His recent work has expanded to explore the cognitive neuroscience of wisdom, investigating how self-transcendent experiences contribute to wise reasoning. Nusbaum's publication record demonstrates consistent high-impact research across cognitive neuroscience, with recent work spanning from basic mechanisms of speech perception to broader questions about wisdom and decision-making. His research shows an evolving trajectory from foundational work on perceptual learning and speech processing toward more complex questions about higher cognitive functions and their neural underpinnings, with publications extending into 2025. Scientific Awards: 2018 Stella M. Rowley Professor of Psychology 2014 Fellow, The Psychonomic Society 2012 Llewellyn John and Harriet Manchester Quantrell Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching 2009 Fellow, Association for Psychological Science 2007 Future Faculty Mentorship Award Nusbaum has successfully mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral trainees who have gone on to become tenured faculty at prestigious institutions worldwide. His NIH-funded research on 'Structure and Process in Speech Perception' has supported his work for many years. His laboratory provides comprehensive training in behavioral research methods, signal processing, statistical analysis, human electrophysiology, and computational modeling. The APEX (Attention, Perception, and Executive-function eXperience) lab at the University of Chicago, which Nusbaum directs, is equipped for high-density EEG measurements, fMRI data analysis, auditory brainstem recordings, and a wide range of speech analysis tools. The lab conducts research with human participants, including nap studies with polysomnography. Nusbaum also contributes to the UChicago Center for Practical Wisdom, reflecting his expanding research interests into the cognitive neuroscience of wisdom.

• Visual Perception
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Neuroscience
• +3 more

Zijiang J He, PhD, is a Professor and Distinguished University Scholar in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Louisville. His research focuses on visual perception, particularly the mechanisms underlying 3D depth perception and middle-level vision. He holds a B.S. in Biophysics from the University of Science and Technology of China (1983), M.S. in Neurobiology from Shanghai Institute of Physiology (1986), and Ph.D. in Physiological Optics & Neuroscience from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (1990). Postdoctoral training was completed at Harvard University (1994). Research interests include space vision mechanisms and middle-level vision processes. His lab explores how the brain integrates 2D retinal images into 3D spatial perception, leveraging virtual reality and psychophysical methods. Key contributions include studies on sensory eye dominance, binocular rivalry, and perceptual learning protocols for amblyopia. He leads the Visual Perception and Cognition Lab, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches combining neuroscience, computational modeling, and behavioral experiments. Notable achievements include the Distinguished University Scholar title and impactful publications in *Nature*, *Science Advances*, and *Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences*. His work bridges ecological regularities and neural processing, advancing understanding of visual system adaptations to spatial environments.

Caroline RobertsonView profile

Associate Professor

• Neuroscience
• Perception
• Memory
• +4 more

Dr. Caroline Robertson is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Dartmouth College. She holds a B.A. from Columbia University, a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge, and completed postdoctoral training at the Harvard Society of Fellows and MIT. Her lab investigates the interplay of perception, memory, and neurodiversity, particularly in autism. Using advanced techniques like virtual reality (VR), eye-tracking, fMRI, and MR spectroscopy, her research explores how sensory input interacts with cognitive processes in diverse populations. Key research areas include: Constructive nature of visual perception Neural mechanisms of scene perception and spatial memory Neurobiological underpinnings of autism spectrum conditions Role of GABAergic systems in perceptual awareness Her lab emphasizes inclusivity, actively involving neurodiverse individuals in research design. They operate a state-of-the-art VR suite for studying naturalistic environments and collaborate on projects like the Dartmouth Autism Research Initiative. Recent work focuses on retinotopic coding in memory-perception interactions and the impact of perceptual load on social attention in autism. Her team's research has been published in Nature Neuroscience , PNAS , and Current Biology , with a focus on translational insights into neurodivergent experiences.

Blake SaurelsView profile

Research Fellow

• Visual Perception
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Neural Correlates of Vision
• +4 more

Dr. Blake Saurels is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the School of Psychology within the Faculty of Health, Medicine and Behavioural Sciences at The University of Queensland. He completed his PhD in Psychology at UQ in 2022 with a thesis titled 'The perceptual and neural consequences of different types of prediction'. His educational background includes a Bachelor (Honours) of Psychology with First Class Honors (Hons Class 1A) from The University of Queensland. Dr. Saurels' research focuses on visual perception, neural correlates of vision, and cognitive neuroscience. His work examines predictive processing in the brain, face recognition mechanisms, binocular rivalry phenomena, and visual imagery. His recent publications reveal a strong interest in how the brain processes visual information, particularly regarding face pareidolia, neural prediction errors, and the relationship between visual imagery and perception. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications shows consistent exploration of neural and perceptual mechanisms related to prediction, visual processing, and imagery. His work frequently employs EEG methodology and experimental paradigms to examine how expectations shape perception and neural responses. Dr. Saurels is currently available for supervision and serves as an Associate Advisor for a PhD project titled 'The Neural Encoding of Naturalistic Faces for Social Perception,' working alongside Dr. Amanda Robinson, Associate Professor Alan Pegna, and Associate Professor Jess Taubert.

Ruben LaukkonenView profile

Senior Lecturer

• cognitive neuroscience
• meditation
• consciousness
• +2 more

Dr. Ruben Laukkonen is a Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor equivalent) in cognitive science and computational neuroscience at Southern Cross University, with honorary fellowships at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and The University of Queensland. His award-winning research integrates neural, psychological, and computational approaches to study meditation, insight, and consciousness. Research highlights: Bayesian models of advanced meditation states Mechanisms of true/false insight experiences Neural correlates of consciousness using EEG/Machine Learning Chief Investigator on Australia's largest psychedelic clinical trial ($4M funding) He publishes in leading journals, speaks internationally, and consults for the OECD on AI and education. His work explores rare states of consciousness across multiple explanatory levels, from neural dynamics to subjective phenomenology. Laukkonen received the 2024 Mid-Career Researcher Award for Research Excellence.