معرفی
Nicholas Baker is an Assistant Professor in Neuroscience at Loyola University Chicago's Psychology Department. His research bridges human visual perception and computational modeling, focusing on abstract shape representation and object recognition. He holds a BA from Johns Hopkins University and a PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles, with a post-doc at York University.
- Education: BA (Johns Hopkins), PhD (UCLA), Post-doc (York University)
- Teaching: PSYC 240 (Psychology and Biology of Perception), PSYC 316 (Lab in Experimental Psychology: Sensation and Perception)
Baker's research explores how spatial relations, rather than physical properties, define visual object perception. He examines human-computer vision disparities, employs deep learning frameworks, and develops models for transforming contours into abstract representations. Key themes include Gestalt principles, shape abstraction, and computational cognitive neuroscience.
His publications (2016-present) span visual perception, computer vision comparisons, and computational modeling. Recent work (2024) investigates object-based warping and dot-based shape abstraction, while 2023 studies highlight local/global processing mechanisms and configural relations. Earlier work (2021-2018) critiques deep learning's shape recognition limitations against human capabilities.
Baker leads Loyola's Human Perception Lab, advancing psychophysics experiments and interdisciplinary research. His work, funded by computational neuroscience grants, has implications for AI training and human-centered design principles.
