Each of our senses transduces a different form of physical energy in order to generate a unique perspective of the outside world. Despite these differences, our normal experience is not a jumble of unisensory percepts, but rather a perception of a continuous, coherent, and multisensory world. The brain has evolved special mechanisms to integrate information across these senses to enhance our perception and behavioral decisions. We seek to understand these mechanisms by applying a spectrum of techniques to understand its anatomical, physiological, and computational bases, as well as its operating constraints, impact on behavior and decision-making, and development and plasticity. Our interests also include translational applications of this research, including the identification and amelioration of disorders of multisensory processing, and how multisensory plasticity can be used to resolve defects within the individual senses.
Associated Faculty
Barry E. Stein
Research Interests: Multisensory Integration, Development, Neurorehabilitation, Vision
Dwayne W. Godwin
Research Interests: Epilepsy, Alcohol, Memory, MEG
Paul J. Laurienti
Research Interests: Brain, Nerve Net, Attention, Aging, Auditory Perception
Emilio Salinas
Research Interests: Analysis of single-neuron and neural-network dynamics using mathematical methods and computer simulations
Terrence R. Stanford
Research Interests: Decision-Making, Sensorimotor Transform, Multisensory Integration, Neural Networks, Vision
Rebecca Sappington
Research Interests: Glaucoma, molecular neurobiology, neuroinflammation
Joost Maier
Research Interests: Flavor perception, multisensory integration, decision making, development of cortical computation.
Techniques: behavioral analysis, multi-electrode recordings and optogenetics in freely moving rats.
Benjamin A. Rowland
Research Interests: Multisensory Integration, Computational Neuroscience, Neural Networks, Neurorehabilitation
Christina Elizabeth Hugenschmidt
Research Interests: Aging, diabetes, neuroscience behavior, radiology, imaging, nuclear medicine
Edgar Romero-Sandoval
Research Interests: Gene Therapy, Pain Research, Inflammation Research, Neuropathy, Cannabis Research