How brain regions help people recognize faces, actions, and places
Functional-neuroanatomy of high-level visual cortex: a quantitative multimodal approach
This project uses brain scans, simple behavior tests, and computer models to learn how different brain areas help people—including those with autism—see and recognize faces, actions, and places.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11251976 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will combine functional MRI, diffusion MRI, and cytoarchitectonic data to link brain structure with activity while people view images. Participants will do visual tasks in the scanner and complete behavioral tests that measure how well they perceive items shown one after another or at the same time. The team will build computational models (including spatiotemporal population receptive field models) to predict brain responses from structural and functional measurements. Results aim to show how attention, timing, and wiring shape visual abilities.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are people (including individuals with autism) who can tolerate MRI scans and follow visual and attention tasks, typically older children or adults who can lie still in the scanner.
Not a fit: People who cannot undergo MRI (for example due to metal implants, severe claustrophobia, or inability to remain still) or those seeking immediate clinical treatments are unlikely to directly benefit from this basic-science work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could improve understanding of why some people—such as those with autism—have trouble recognizing faces or social cues and could point to better diagnostics or targeted interventions in the future.
How similar studies have performed: Related brain-imaging and modeling approaches have advanced knowledge of visual and face-processing areas, but combining spatiotemporal pRFs with structural and cytoarchitectonic data—especially for the lateral stream—is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Stanford, United States
- Stanford University — Stanford, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Grill-Spector, Kalanit — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Grill-Spector, Kalanit
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.