Section on Perception, Cognition, Action

Americans are facing an unprecedent rise in disorders and diseases of mental function. Many of these conditions involve disturbances of vision, such as the visual hallucinations of schizophrenia or cortical visual impairment. To address these health challenges, we need basic knowledge of the normal function of the brain. Such knowledge cannot be obtained from computer simulations. The Sensation, Cognition and Action Section aims to answer three fundamental questions whose answers will guide the development of treatment strategies for circumstances when the brain malfunctions. What are the neural circuits, structures and operations in humans that enable visual perception and visual cognition? And how do these operations get wired up through development and visual experience? Obtaining this knowledge will not only deepen our understanding of the human mind/brain and how vision works but also generate new ideas for tackling mental illnesses and lay the groundwork for machine-brain-interfaces for the treatment of blindness. The Section leverages an innovative combination of cutting-edge technology, including psychophysics and non-invasive brain imaging (magnetoencephalography and functional magnetic resonance imaging), multi-channel microelectrode recording, fMRI-guided pharmacological blockade and microstimulation, tract-tracing, and AI-inspired computational modeling.

PubMed Search for B. Conway

Gibson, E., Futrell, R., Jara-Ettinger, J., Mahowald, K., Bergen, L., Ratnasingam, S., … Conway, B. R. (2017). Color naming across languages reflects color use. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 114(40), 10785-10790. doi:10.1073/pnas.1619666114

Lafer-Sousa, R., & Conway, B. R. (2017). #TheDress: Categorical perception of an ambiguous color image. J Vis, 17(12), 25. doi:10.1167/17.12.25

Bohon, K. S., Hermann, K. L., Hansen, T., & Conway, B. R. (2016). Representation of Perceptual Color Space in Macaque Posterior Inferior Temporal Cortex (the V4 Complex). eNeuro, 3(4). doi:10.1523/ENEURO.0039-16.2016

Lafer-Sousa R, Conway* BR, Kanwisher* NG (2016) Color-biased Regions of the Ventral Visual Pathway Lie between Face- and Place- Selective Regions in Humans, as in Macaques. Journal of Neuroscience 36(5),1682-97. * co-senior authors (equal contribution)

Lafer-Sousa R, Hermann KL, Conway BR (2015) Striking differences in color perception uncovered by ‘The Dress’ photograph. Current Biology published on-line May 14, 2015. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2015.04.053

Verhoef B-E, Bohon KS, Conway BR (2015) Functional Architecture for disparity in macaque inferior temporal cortex and its relationship to the architecture for faces, color, scenes, and visual field. Journal of Neuroscience 35(17):6952–696

Zaidi Q, Marshall J, Thoen H, Conway BR (2014) Evolution of neural computations: Mantis shrimp and human colour vision. iperception, 5:492–496

Gagin G, Bohon KS, Butensky A, Gates M, Jiun-Yiing H, Lafer-Sousa R, Reitumetse PL, Qu J, Stoughton CM, Swanbeck SN, Conway BR (2014) Color detection thresholds in macaque monkeys and humans. Journal of Vision 14(8):12, 1–15

Conway BR (2014) Color signals through dorsal and ventral visual pathways. Visual Neurosciences 31(3):285-6. Advanced Online Publication (Oct. 8, 2013) 10.1017/S0952523813000382.

Lafer-Sousa R, Conway BR (2013) Parallel, multi-stage processing of colors, faces and shapes in macaque inferior temporal cortex. Nature Neuroscience 16(12):1870-8. Advanced Publication (October 2013) 10.1038/nn.3555 (recommended by F1000)

Hubel DH, Wiesel TW, Yeagle EM, Lafer-Sousa R, Conway BR (2013) Binocular stereoscopy in visual areas V-2, V-3 and V-3A of the macaque monkey. Cerebral Cortex Advanced Online Publication (Oct. 11, 2013) 10.1093/cercor/bht288 (recommended by F1000)

Cavanagh P, Conway BR, Freedberg D, Rosenberg R (2013) Sciences cognitives et histoire de l’art, une coopération en devenir? [Cognitive science and art history: a partnership in the making?]. Perspective, la Revue de Institut National d'Histoire de l'Art. 1 (Période moderne/Époque contemporaine): 11-28.

Conway BR, Rehding A (2013) Neuroaesthetics and the trouble with beauty. PLoS Biology 11:e1001504. (see Nature commentary)

Roe AW, Chelazzi L, Connor CE, Conway BR, Fujita I, Gallant J, Lu HD, Vanduffel W (2012) Towards a unified theory of visual area V4. Neuron 74:12-29.

Stoughton CM, Lafer-Sousa R, Gagin G, Conway BR (2012) Psychophysical chromatic mechanisms in macaque monkey. Journal of Neuroscience 32(43):15216-26

Lafer-Sousa R, Liu YO, Lafer-Sousa L, Wiest MC, Conway BR (2012) Color tuning in alert macaque V1 assessed with fMRI and single-unit recording shows a bias towards daylight colors. Journal of the Optical Society of America 29(5):657-70

Conway BR (2012) Doing Science Making Art, Trends in Cognitive Science, 16(6):310-312

Conway BR (2012) Color consilience: color through the lens of art practice, history, philosophy, and neuroscience. Annals of the New York Academy of Science (Cognitive Science Annual Issue) 1251:77-94