Isabelle Mareschal (lab head)
I perform both basic and applied research on visual perception in humans and my research has four major streams:
1) My basic research program examines how controlled measurements of visual perception can be extended to realistic stimuli and situations. This research examines how humans detect simple or basic visual features (such as edges) within a natural environment and how things such as attention can improve our performance. Part of this research is funded by the Leverhulme Trust.
2) I am also developing a research program that addresses basic issues of social neuroscience, investigating how good we are at making judgements of other people’s gaze and facial expressions. I plan to develop this research with clinical collaborations to use robust psychophysical evaluations of visual disorders associated with some clinical populations (e.g. conduct disorder; autism spectrum disorder, etc.). The goal of these tests is to provide early diagnostic capabilities and, potentially, develop training tools to help improve performance.
3) Individual differences in emotion recognition. This research is funded by the MRC. We have developed a new method of measuring emotion recognition based on a genetic algorithm procedure, that allows people to create facial expressions. We are examining how individual differences in emotion recognition using this method relates to anxiety and psychopathy.
4) Cognitive and affective development in refugee children. Parts of this research were funded by the Waterloo Foundation, and is currently supported by a British Academy grant.
PhD students
2020-ongoing Sara Molas (BBSRC, LIDO)
Visual memory
2021-ongoing Sophie Heer (Phd student, Leverhulme Studentship)
Cognitive Determinants of gaze.
2021-ongoing Mayeen Hoque (PhD Student, Wellcome Trust)
Establishing Links between Eye Gaze and Self-Referential Bias with General Wellbeing and Psychiatric Symptomology
Postdoctoral researchers
2021-ongoing Dr Marek Pedziwiatr (Postdoctoral researcher, Leverhulme Studentship)
Cognitive Determinants of gaze.
2021- ongoing Dr Tom Murray (Postdoctoral researcher, MRC)
Individual differences in emotion recognition
Alumni
Dr Joseph Florey (PhD student, 2014-2017). Now at Sony Research
Dr Hussain Ismail Ahamed Miflah (PhD Student, 2015-2018). Now lecturer at the University of Nottingham, Malaysia.
Dr Deema Awad (PhD Student, 2015-2018) Now research affiliate, LSE
Dr Julia Michalek (PhD Student, 2018-2022), Now Teaching Fellow QMUL
Dr Anastasia Vikhanova (PhD Student, 2018-2022), Now Teaching Fellow QMUL
Dr Terry McElvany (PhD student, 2018-2022), Now NHS Behavioural Science Unit
Dr Antoine Coutrot (2020 Science Fellow, 2015-2017, with Alan Johnston, UCL). Now Assistant Prof in CNRS, Lyon.
Dr Nicola Binetti (2020-2022 Postdoctoral researcher, MRC), Now Marie-Curie Fellow, SISSA
Dr Rinad Bakhti (2020-2021, Postdoctoral researcher, British Academy), Now at Imperial College London
Dr Matteo Lisi (2019-2020, Postdoctoral researcher Waterloo Foundation), Now lecturer at the University of Royal Holloway
Current collaborators:
Prof Peter Bex, Northeastern University, USA
Prof Darren Cosker, University of Bath
Prof Mark Dadds, University of Sydney, Australia
Prof Steven Dakin, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Dr Miles Hansard, Queen Mary University of London
Prof Alan Johnston, University of Nottingham
Dr Keith May, University of Essex
Prof Michael Morgan, City University of London
Prof Joshua Solomon, City University of London
Prof Sukhi Sherghill, Kings College London