Monica Castelhano

Monica Castelhano is a Professor and Chair of the Cognitive Neuroscience Program in the Department of Psychology at Queen's University. She holds a B.Sc. from the University of Toronto (2000), M.A. (2002), and Ph.D. (2005) from Michigan State University. Her research focuses on visual attention and memory in real-world scenes, examining how perception, attention, and long-term memory interact. Using behavioral and eye-tracking methods, her work investigates how scene context influences attentional guidance and memory encoding.

Research Interests: Her primary areas of investigation include the hierarchical structure of scene representations, the role of object-function in guiding attention, and the impact of spatial associations on visual search. She explores depth-based biases in scene processing and the integration of contextual and object-based cues during scene perception.

Lab and Collaborations: Dr. Castelhano's lab employs eye-tracking technology to study gaze behavior in naturalistic environments. Her work bridges cognitive psychology and neuroscience, contributing to theories of scene perception and attentional mechanisms. Recent trends in her publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches, incorporating computational models and machine learning frameworks to analyze scene analysis processes.

Advising and Grants: While specific grant details are not listed, her active research program indicates sustained funding support. No awards are explicitly mentioned in the provided materials. She supervises graduate students in experimental psychology and cognitive neuroscience.