Helmholtz lecture Prof. Sabine Kastner (Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Princeton University, New Jersey): Title: Neural dynamics of the primate attention network Abstract: The selection of information from our cluttered sensory environments is one of the most fundamental cognitive operations performed by the primate brain. In the visual domain, the selection process is thought to be mediated…

Helmholtz lecture Prof. Ole Jensen (School of Psychology, University of Birmingham, UK): !! This Helmholtz lecture starts at 4:15pm !!  Title: A pipeline mechanism supporting visual exploration and reading Abstract:We saccade every ~250 ms during visual exploration and reading. Given that it takes ~100 ms to prepare and execute a saccade, the visual system has less…

Helmholtz lecture Sanne Schagen (Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Programme group Brain and Cognition, UvA) Title: How Neuropsychology is Impacting Cancer Care Abstract:Today, more than 50 million people are living within five years of a past cancer diagnosis. Cancer survivorship comes with complications. Decrements in functioning affect patients’ capacity to work, diminish societal participation and…

Helmholtz lecture Prof. Paul Bays (Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, UK): Title: Computational principles of visual perception and memory Abstract: The brain must often combine sensory information from the present with that from the recent past. Nowhere is this more apparent than in vision, where a rapidly changing environment combines with perturbations of the retinal…

Helmholtz lecture Prof. Heleen Slagter (Faculty of Behavioural and Movement Sciences, Cognitive Psychology, VU Amsterdam): Title: Attention and distraction in the predictive brain Abstract: to be announced, visit the website for updates. Location: Ruppert Rood, Leuvenlaan 21, 3584 CE Utrecht Helmholtz Lectures take place from 4 to 5pm, with drinks afterwards in the pantry of…

Helmholtz lecture Dr. Leila Reddy (French National Centre for Scientific Research): Title: Sequence learning in human hippocampal neurons Abstract: The ability to maintain a sequence of items in memory is a fundamental cognitive function. In the rodent hippocampus, the representation of sequentially organized spatial locations is reflected in the activity of place cells, and the timing…

Helmholtz lecture Denny Borsboom (Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam): Title: Theory construction methodology for building theories in psychology Abstract: Several authors have lamented the lack of systematic theory formation in scientific psychology, and some have gone as far as to pinpoint the paucity of theory as a cause of the reproducibility crisis (Borsboom, 2013). However, little practical…

Helmholtz lecture Prof. Kenny Coventry (School of Psychology at the University of East Anglia, UK): Title: On the interactions between language, perception and attention Abstract: Talking about where objects/places are located is one of the most basic functions of language. Using spatial terms requires coordination between language and non-linguistic systems to be able to direct the attention…

Helmholtz lecture Prof. Monika Harvey (School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Glasgow, UK): Title: Action and Non-invasive Brain Stimulation Training in patients with sub-acute and chronic spatial neglect. Abstract: Up to 80% of  people who experience a right-hemisphere stroke suffer from  hemispatial neglect,  a severe visuospatial impairment, where they fail to perceive/misperceive items presented…

Helmholtz lecture Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Einhäuser-Treyer (Chemnitz University of Technology): Title: Attention and gaze in real and virtual worlds Abstract: When studying real-world behavior, experimenters face a trade-off between ecological validity and experimental control. On the one hand stimuli and task shall be as realistic as possible, while on the other hand all relevant variables shall be carefully…