Frederick A. A. Kingdom is a Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at McGill University's Faculty of Medicine, focusing on Perception, Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience . His research explores the interplay between early visual feature detection (edges, bars) and intermediate stages forming contours, textures, and surfaces through spatial vision, color vision, stereopsis, texture perception, brightness/lightness perception, and transparency studies . Email: fred.kingdom@mcgill.ca Key research domains include: Perceptual Mechanisms : Lateral inhibition, contrast normalization, spatial bandpass filters, and their role in brightness/lightness perception and illusions like simultaneous brightness contrast. Color Vision : Red-green vs blue-yellow system distribution, chromatic contrast requirements for stereopsis, color-based depth processing limitations, and color-shading effects that parse surfaces vs illumination. Texture Analysis : Detection thresholds for orientation/frequency/contrast modulated textures, co-circularity in texture perception, and texture statistical sensitivity (e.g., kurtosis importance). Shape Processing : Shape-frequency/shape-amplitude aftereffects, global vs local shape coding, and contour inflection adaptation. His work combines psychophysics , fMRI , image processing , and computational modeling to dissect visual system architecture, particularly how color and luminance signals are integrated/separated in early cortical processing.
David Whitney is a Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Berkeley , with affiliations in Cognitive Science and Neuroscience . His research focuses on visual perception, particularly how humans process information in cluttered environments through mechanisms like ensemble perception , serial dependence , and perceptual crowding . He employs techniques such as psychophysics, fMRI, and TMS to study these phenomena. Whitney's recent work examines serial dependence in schizophrenia, emotion perception in crowds , and medical image analysis for dermatology and radiology. His studies reveal how the brain uses dynamic predictive templates and motion cues to stabilize perception despite neural processing delays. Publications span Current Biology , Nature Reviews Psychology , and PLoS ONE , with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary applications of perceptual science. Scientific contributions include foundational studies on visuomotor control , blind spot filling-in , and holistic face processing . His lab investigates perceptual stability across eye movements, spatial localization, and cross-modal interactions. Whitney has received grants such as NIH EY018216 to support his research on motion-dependent visual coding. Detailed information about his work is available on the Whitney Lab website .
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 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.
Michael Webster is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Nevada, Reno, serving as Co-Director of the Graduate MS/PhD Neuroscience Program and Undergraduate BS Neuroscience Program, and Director of the NIH-funded COBRE for Integrative Neuroscience. His research focuses on visual perception, particularly how perception adapts to environmental and physiological changes. He leads major initiatives like the $10 million COBRE grant establishing an fMRI facility and neuroscience programs. Education: Ph.D., Psychology, University of California, Berkeley (1988); B.A., Psychology, University of California, San Diego (1981). Research Interests: Cognitive neuroscience of vision, visual adaptation mechanisms, color and face perception, and cultural/environmental influences on perception. Notable contributions include discoveries about face adaptation, color constancy, and blur correction. His work is funded by NIH grants and recognized through awards like the Outstanding Researcher Award. Grants/Awards: NIH COBRE Directorship, foundation professorship, grants for radiology adaptation studies. His lab (Visual Perception Lab) explores neural and cognitive bases of visual processing.
Kristen Baker is a Newton International Fellow (awarded by the Royal Society) at the University of Kent's School of Psychology, conducting research under Dr. Markus Bindemann on decision-making in face identification with implications for eyewitness testimony and border security. She earned her PhD from Brock University, where her dissertation examined individual differences in face identification and learning, supported by Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and Ontario Graduate Scholarship funding. Her research integrates cognitive and developmental perspectives to investigate face recognition mechanisms, focusing on individual variability, familiarity processes, and forensic applications. She employs experimental methods comparing adult and child participants across controlled identification tasks. Recent publications in Cognition and Perception reveal consistent exploration of stable individual differences in face identification, expertise effects (e.g., photographers), aging impacts on familiar face recognition, and within-person variability in identity perception. Her scientific recognition includes: Newton International Fellowship (Royal Society) Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada PhD Fellowship Ontario Graduate Scholarship Supported by prestigious fellowships throughout her career, she currently contributes to Dr. Bindemann's research group without documented student supervision or independent grant leadership. She operates within the University of Kent's visual cognition research team, focusing on empirical face processing studies with real-world forensic relevance.
Theo Kindynis is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology at the Department of Sociology and Criminology, City St George's, University of London, where he joined in March 2024. Previously, he taught at Goldsmiths, University of London, and the University of Roehampton. His academic affiliations reflect a strong commitment to critical, ethnographic, and spatially informed criminological inquiry. PhD in Criminology, University of Greenwich, United Kingdom MPhil in Criminological Research, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom BA Hons in Sociology, University of Kent, United Kingdom Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, Higher Education Academy, United Kingdom Theo Kindynis’s research centers on the intersections of urban space, lawbreaking, and social control. He is a leading expert on deviant subcultures, particularly graffiti writing and urban exploration, having conducted long-term ethnographic fieldwork in London. His work bridges empirical investigation with theoretical innovation, most notably through co-pioneering the concept of "ghost criminology" —a framework that examines the haunting aftereffects of crime, violence, and punishment. His methodological contributions include publishing legal, ethical, and practical guidance for criminological ethnographers researching criminalized groups, especially in digital and high-surveillance environments. His recent publications reveal a sustained engagement with spatial criminology, subcultural practices, and the ethics of ethnographic research. Themes across his work include the policing of urban aesthetics, the affective engineering of consumer spaces, the spectral presence of past violence, and the information security challenges faced by researchers in sensitive fields. His scholarly output combines theoretical rigor with grounded empirical insight, frequently published in top journals such as The British Journal of Criminology and Crime, Media, Culture . Theo Kindynis has contributed to public discourse as an expert commentator on graffiti and urban exploration, appearing in media outlets including the BBC Evening News and The Guardian. His work on information security for ethnographers addresses a critical gap in methodological literature, drawing from journalism, activism, and digital rights advocacy. Co-authored the foundational book Ghost Criminology: The Afterlife of Crime and Punishment (NYU Press, 2022) Pioneered methodological guidance on protecting ethnographic data from state and non-state threats Developed innovative approaches to anonymization and data protection in high-risk research Advocates for ethical rigor in researching criminalized populations As a supervisor, Theo welcomes doctoral proposals on urban space, deviant subcultures, and ethnographic methods. He is actively involved in shaping the future of criminological theory and methodology, particularly in relation to digital surveillance, researcher safety, and the cultural afterlives of crime. Theo Kindynis is affiliated with research teams exploring the intersections of space, crime, and memory. His ongoing projects continue to develop the framework of ghost criminology, while expanding into issues of algorithmic surveillance, border control, and the digital footprints of academic research. His work is increasingly relevant in an era of automated state profiling and data-driven social control.
Dr Maria Gallagher serves as a Lecturer in Cognition and Neuroscience within the School of Psychology at the University of Kent. Her research focuses on vestibular-multisensory integration mechanisms for self-motion perception, with particular emphasis on virtual reality applications and cybersickness mitigation. Her academic background includes: PhD (2019) from Royal Holloway, University of London investigating visuo-vestibular conflicts in Virtual Reality and Cybersickness Three-year postdoctoral position at Cardiff University researching audio-visual motion integration during active self-motion Dr Gallagher's work centers on how vestibular system signals integrate with visual and auditory inputs to create coherent self-motion perception. She investigates how conflicts between these sensory modalities in virtual environments cause cybersickness and aftereffects, aiming to enhance VR technology usability through neurocognitive insights. Her research bridges experimental psychology, neuroscience, and human-computer interaction. As an educator, she teaches PSYC3000 - Introduction to Psychology Statistics and Practical. Dr Gallagher currently supervises PhD student Emily Perry and actively seeks new supervisees interested in vestibular system research and VR's cognitive impacts. She also serves as Finance Assistant for the Experimental Psychology Society, demonstrating professional engagement beyond her core academic duties.
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.
Dr. Avniel Singh Ghuman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He serves as Director of the Cognitive Neurodynamics Lab and plays a key role in advancing MEG (Magnetoencephalography) Research at the university. His work bridges clinical neurosurgery with fundamental neuroscience research to understand visual perception mechanisms. Dr. Ghuman's educational background includes: BA in Math and Physics from The Johns Hopkins University (1998) PhD in Biophysics from Harvard University (2007) Postdoctoral training at the National Institute of Mental Health Dr. Ghuman's research focuses on how the brain transforms visual input into meaningful perception of objects, faces, words, and social images in real-world contexts. His laboratory employs both invasive (intracranial EEG) and non-invasive (MEG) techniques to examine the spatiotemporal dynamics of neural activity during visual processing. The lab integrates multivariate machine learning methods, network analysis, and direct neural stimulation to investigate information processing at both local brain regions and distributed network levels. Recent work has pioneered methods for studying brain activity during authentic social interactions and natural behavior. His publication record demonstrates significant contributions to understanding real-world face perception, neural dynamics during natural behavior, and the application of advanced analytical techniques to brain imaging data. His research has revealed how brain network dynamics form a 'punctuated equilibrium' of stable states with transitory bursts between them, coinciding with behavioral shifts in everyday activities. Dr. Ghuman has received notable recognition for his work: Young Investigator Award from NARSAD (2012) Award for Innovative New Scientists from the National Institute of Mental Health (2015) His research has been featured in prominent media outlets including MIT Technology Review, The Wall Street Journal, and Carnegie Mellon University publications. As Director of the Cognitive Neurodynamics Lab, Dr. Ghuman leads a research program that has advanced our understanding of how the brain processes visual information in real-world environments, with implications for both fundamental neuroscience and clinical applications.
Dr. Elena Gheorghiu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Stirling, within the Faculty of Natural Sciences. She holds a PhD from Utrecht University (Netherlands) and has held post-doctoral positions at McGill University (Canada) and KU Leuven (Belgium). Her research focuses on human visual perception, specifically contour-shape processing, texture analysis, binocular vision, and visual illusions. She has received the prestigious 1st Prize at the Best Visual Illusion of the Year Contest (2007) for the 'Leaning Tower Illusion.' Education: PhD in Psychology, Utrecht University (Netherlands) Postdoctoral Fellowships: McGill University (Canada) and University of Leuven (Belgium) Research Interests: Contour/Texture Processing Stereopsis and Binocular Vision Symmetry and Regularity Perception EEG/ERP and Computational Modelling Her grants include funding from EPSRC (2024-2027), MOD-Dstl (2023), and Wellcome Trust (2015-2019). She has advised numerous postdoctoral researchers and students, including Dr. Rebecca Sharman (now at Abertay University) and Dr. Damien Wright (University of Edinburgh). Her lab explores topics such as mirror symmetry detection, contextual modulation effects, and temporal dynamics of visual perception. Key achievements include over 60 peer-reviewed articles and advancements in understanding visual perception mechanisms through psychophysical and neurophysiological methods.
Dr. Jennifer Ruttle is an Assistant Professor (limited term) in the Department of Psychology at Toronto Metropolitan University, Faculty of Arts. She earned her PhD in Psychology from York University and specializes in experimental psychology with a focus on the neural mechanisms underlying visuomotor adaptation and proprioception. Her research integrates behavioral experiments and neuroimaging techniques to explore how humans adapt motor actions in response to sensory discrepancies. Her research interests center on sensory-motor systems, motivation, memory, and cognition. She investigates how the brain processes visual and proprioceptive feedback during motor tasks, particularly focusing on the time course of implicit and explicit adaptation. This work contributes significantly to understanding motor learning, neural plasticity, and sensorimotor integration. Using techniques such as behavioral testing and MRI, Dr. Ruttle’s lab explores the functional organization of the brain’s dorsal and ventral pathways in shape perception and motor control. The recent publications highlight a strong trajectory in motor neuroscience, particularly examining the dynamics of proprioceptive recalibration and implicit learning. Her work consistently addresses fundamental questions about how quickly the brain adapts to altered sensory input and how different components of motor learning interact. These studies employ rigorous experimental designs and contribute to both theoretical models and practical applications in rehabilitation and human-computer interaction. Dr. Ruttle has taught across multiple institutions including York University, Seneca Polytechnic, and the University of Guelph-Humber, delivering courses ranging from introductory psychology to advanced seminars in memory, cognition, and neuroscience. While no formal advisees are listed, her active research program suggests engagement with graduate students and collaborators. She has presented her work at major conferences such as the Society for Neuroscience, reflecting her integration into the broader scientific community. Her research has been published in high-quality, peer-reviewed journals including eNeuro , Journal of Neurophysiology , Scientific Reports , and PLoS ONE . Although no specific awards or grants are mentioned in the provided text, her publication record indicates sustained scholarly productivity and scientific impact.
Dr. Mauro Manassi is a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Aberdeen's School of Psychology, where he has been appointed since August 2019. He leads the Manassi Laboratory, which focuses on visual perception research, and co-hosted the 46th European Conference on Visual Perception in Aberdeen in August 2024. His educational background includes a PhD in Neuroscience from École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (2014), an MSc in Clinical Psychology from the University of Padua (2009), and a BSc in Psychology of Personality and Interpersonal Relationships from the University of Padua (2006). Prior to his academic career, he completed an 18-month postdoc at UC Berkeley under Prof. David Whitney's laboratory, funded by the Swiss National Science Foundation. Manassi's research centers on how the visual system organizes cluttered environments into coherent perceptions and stabilizes our visual interpretations of the world. His laboratory investigates two key principles: Organization (studying visual crowding and ensemble perception) and Stabilization (examining serial dependence in visual perception). His work has significant implications for understanding visual perception in complex environments, including applications in medical image perception for radiology and dermatology. His publication record shows a strong focus on serial dependence mechanisms, visual crowding phenomena, and medical image perception. The research demonstrates how our brains create stable visual experiences despite discontinuous retinal input, with findings showing that our perception integrates visual information over approximately 15 seconds. His recent work extends these principles to clinical contexts, revealing how perceptual biases affect medical diagnosis. His scientific recognition includes the British Psychology Society Cognitive Psychology Section Award for Best Research Article of the Year (2022) and awards for hosting the European Conference on Visual Perception in 2024. Manassi actively supervises PhD students and research assistants while serving in multiple administrative roles at Aberdeen, including Head of S.C.R.E.A.M. committee, Data Protection Champion, and member of the Ethics Committee. His research has attracted substantial media attention, with over 259,000 views on his YouTube visual illusion and viral coverage of his work on The Conversation.
Mel Rutherford is a Professor in the Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour within the Faculty of Science at McMaster University. Her research focuses on experimental psychology motivated by evolutionary theory, particularly examining Social Perception and Social Perceptual Development. Dr. Rutherford earned her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2000, following a BA in Psychology and Biology from Yale University in 1992. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Denver from 2000-2002. Her research interests span Cognitive Development, Evolutionary Psychology, Social Perception, Animacy Perception, and Face Processing, with particular emphasis on how these processes develop in children and are affected in Autism Spectrum Disorder. She has published extensively on visual aftereffects, religious bias in face perception, essentialism, and developmental trajectories in social cognition. Analysis of her recent publications (2021-2025) reveals a strong focus on religious bias in face perception, with multiple studies examining how religious labels affect visual adaptation to Christian and Muslim faces. Her work also explores essentialism in social categories, developmental trajectories in facial expression perception, and biological motion perception in autism through meta-analysis. Her research consistently bridges evolutionary theory with experimental psychology methodologies. Dr. Rutherford has taught numerous courses including Essentials of Developmental Psychology (PSYCH 3GG3), PNB Tutorials (PNB 2XT0), Advanced Topics in Psychology, Neuroscience and Behaviour (PSYCH 741), Contemporary Problems in Psychology (PSYCH 720A), and Inferential Statistics and Research Methods (PNB 3XE3) across multiple years from 2017-2024. She leads the Rutherford Lab at McMaster University, which focuses on experimental psychology motivated by evolutionary theory, specifically examining questions of Social Perception and Social Perceptual Development. Her work has been widely cited across academic platforms, social media, and news outlets, with numerous publications appearing in high-impact journals like Journal of Vision, Frontiers in Psychology, and Developmental Psychology.
Katherine Storrs is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. She leads the Computational Perception Lab, where she combines computational modeling and psychophysical experiments to study visual perception. Her research is supported by a Marsden Fast Start grant, and she is actively involved in teaching and academic service. She earned her PhD in Psychological Science from the University of Queensland in 2015 and has held postdoctoral positions at Justus-Liebig University (Germany) and the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit (Cambridge, UK). She also worked as a Data Scientist at Twitter in London. Dr. Storrs' research focuses on how the visual system interprets material properties such as gloss, shape, and reflectance. She uses unsupervised deep learning models to simulate and predict human perception, particularly in ambiguous or complex visual environments. Her work bridges cognitive science, neuroscience, and artificial intelligence. Her most recent publications explore topics such as gloss perception, mental rotation, face similarity, and the role of statistical learning in shape encoding. These works frequently appear in high-impact journals like Nature Human Behaviour , PNAS , and Current Biology , demonstrating a strong trend toward using computational models to explain perceptual phenomena. Marsden Fast Start Grant (2021) Humboldt Research Fellowship (2019) UK National Finalist, FameLab (2017) Editorial Board Member, Nature Communications Psychology (2023–) Editorial Board Member, OpenMind (2022–) Social Media Editor, Perception and i-Perception (2020–) She supervises graduate students and teaches courses including PSYCH 306 (Research Methods), PSYCH 775 (Visual Perception in Brains and Machines), and PSYCH 109. She also mentors students in honours, master's, and PhD programs. Her lab is actively involved in interdisciplinary collaborations, particularly with researchers in machine learning and computational neuroscience. The lab is funded by the Marsden Fund and supported by access to high-performance computing resources for training deep neural networks.
