CN 730 Models of Visual Perception

Course Description

Prerequisites : Consent of the instructor, Ennio Mingolla.

The 1998 edition of this course offers an advanced survey of selected topics of current interest in the neural and computational modeling of psychological data in mammalian vision. Topics include functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of visual cortex, visual navigation, cortical map formation, and dyslexia. This year, several classes will be held at laboratories of nearby institutions. Students are expected to have a sufficient interdisciplinary grounding in the fundamentals of mammalian vision to read primary research sources extensively, and will be required to present short oral critiques of selected readings to the class. A term project that combines a problem statement, literature review, and either (1) simulations a model or (2) a design for a pyschophysical experiment is also required.

FREQUENTLY-ASKED QUESTIONS about CN 730

Information for GUEST SPEAKERS

WEEKLY READINGS

Dates of DELIVERABLES for student research reports

Class and Invited Speaker Schedule

Class meeting times are Thursdays 1:00-4:00 in Room B03 of 677 Beacon Street, with refreshments to follow. Please note that meetings labeled FIELD TRIP will NOT be held at Boston University.

September 3

Organizational Meeting: Room B03, 677 Beacon Street

September 10

FIELD TRIP: fMRI Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital

Host: JANINE MENDOLA

Title: Mapping Human Visual Cortex with fMRI: Beyond Retinotopy

NOTE: Our session will begin promptly at 1:30 PM. Please see:

Directions to NMR Education Center

September 17

FIELD TRIP: Brown University

Host: BILL WARREN

Topic: Controlling Locomotion from Optic Flow

NOTE: Our session will begin promptly at 1:30 PM. Please see:

Directions to Brown University

September 24

FIELD TRIP: Brandeis University

Host: SACHA NELSON

Topic: Synaptic Scaling and Synaptic Depression and Their Impact on Cortical Computation.

NOTE: Our session will begin promptly at 1:30 PM. Please see:

Directions to Brandeis University and

Directions to Nelson's lab

October 1

FIELD TRIP: Brandeis University

Host: PAUL DIZIO

Topic: Bi-directional interactions of vision and motor control

For directions, and more, see: Graybiel Lab Web Site

October 8

Speaker: MAX SNODDERLY, Schepens Eye Research Institute

Topic: Neuronal machinery of primary visual cortex

October 15

Student presentations

October 22

FIELD TRIP: Cambridge Basic Research

Host: ANDY LIU

Topic: Modeling and prediction of driver intention

NOTE: Our session will begin promptly at 1:30 PM.

October 29

FIELD TRIP: Psychology Department, Harvard University

Host: DAN SIMONS

Topic: Attentional blink

November 5

MAGNUS SNORRASON, Cambridge Analytics

Topic: Cognitive effects on visual search

November 12

Gadi Geiger, MIT

Title: Task-determined strategies of visual process: Dyslexia as an example of a perceptual strategy.

November 19

Gary Blasdel, Harvard Med.

December 3

Student presentations

December 10

Student presentations

Student presentations of course projects

Some Useful Links

For some cool demos of biological space/time receptive fields check out this site
In particular look at the link: "Space-time inseparable receptive field of a simple cell"
(suggested by Lars Liden)

Links to Vision Web Pages

Check out Lavanya Viswanathan's site of Visual Illusions and Vision Links

Also check out links from F. Kelly's List of Favorite Sites and from the CN 530 home page .

Also check out Lars Liden's Vision Page

This page is maintained by Ennio Mingolla

Please direct all queries and bug reports to: