Caroline Robertson

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.