PostDoctoral Research Fellowship

少数族裔博士后研究和培训研究金将在加拿大温哥华的不列颠哥伦比亚省大学进行，由Alan金斯顿博士监督。 研究的中心主题是一种被称为特罗克斯勒衰落（Troxler Fading，1804）的现象。 特罗克斯勒衰落（TF）发生在观察者注意到他/她的周边视野中的物体（目标），同时保持他/她的眼睛聚焦在次要物体上。 经过几秒钟的持续关注，目标从观察者的视野中消失了几秒钟。 在它的位置，观察者反而感知到背景表面的平滑延续。这种现象也被称为知觉填充，这个名字反映了看到目标被背景填充的内省体验。该研究项目分为三个相关的，但几乎独立的子项目。第一个子计画是学习功能性核磁共振技术，并将其应用于TF的研究。 这个分项目的目标是确定大脑中发生目标褪色和填充的区域。 这个子项目的结果不仅对TF理论有影响，而且对正常表面知觉理论也有影响。第二个子项目是学习事件相关电位（ERP）技术，并将其用于TF和知觉意识的研究。这个子项目的目的是利用“视觉”或“感觉”ERPs（所谓的P1/N1复合体），这被认为是反映视觉刺激的皮层处理，作为一个功能标记，以确定是否发生在褪色的位置的视觉事件是由视觉皮层处理。这个项目的结果将对知觉意识和TF理论以及视觉系统如何处理感觉信息的理论产生重要影响。 第三个子项目是TF行为调查的延续。在这个子项目中，将研究决定衰落事件持续时间的因素。 诸如眼睛运动和视觉注意力的转换（即， 移动注意力的焦点而不伴随眼球运动）。本研究的结果对于TF理论和选择性注意理论的研究具有重要意义。此外，当在其他两个子项目的背景下解释时，这些结果也将提供关于视觉选择性注意可以影响感知处理的不同大脑区域的重要新信息。不列颠哥伦比亚省大学具备独特的条件，可以容纳本提案范围内的项目。UBC在大脑研究中心拥有研究专用的，最先进的功能磁共振成像和ERP设施。 此外，UBC还拥有一批认知神经科学和视觉感知领域的高级专家学者，他们将为PI提供适当的学习培训环境。

This Minority Post-Doctoral Research and Training Fellowship will be conducted at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, Canada, under the supervision of Dr. Alan Kingstone. The central topic of investigation is a phenomenon known as Troxler Fading (Troxler, 1804). Troxler Fading (TF) occurs when an observer pays attention to an object (the target) in his/her peripheral field of vision, while keeping his/her eyes focused on a secondary object. After several seconds of sustained attention, the target disappears from the observer's view for a few seconds. At its location, the observer instead perceives a smooth continuation of the background surface. This phenomenon is also known as perceptual filling-in, a name that reflects the introspective experience of seen the target getting filled-in by the background. The research project is divided into three related, though almost independent, sub-projects. The first sub-project is centered on learning the technique of functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and applying it to the study of TF. The objective of this sub-project will be to identify the areas of the brain where the fading and filling-in of the target takes place. The results from this sub-project will not only have implications regarding theories of TF, but also regarding theories of normal surface perception. The second sub-project is centered on learning the technique of Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) and using it to investigate TF and perceptual awareness. The objective of this sub-project will be to utilize the "visual" or "sensory" ERPs (the so-called P1/N1 complex), which are believed to reflect the cortical processing of visual stimuli, as a functional marker to determine whether visual events occurring at the faded location are processed by the visual cortex. The results from this project will have important implications regarding theories of perceptual awareness and TF, as well as, theories regarding how sensory information is processed by the visual system. The third sub-project is a continuation of the behavioral investigation of TF. In this sub-project, the factors determining the duration of fading events will be investigated. Factors such as eye movements and coverts shift of visual attention (i.e., moving the focus of attention without accompanying eye movements) will be studied. The results of this project will have important implications regarding theories of TF and selective attention. Furthermore, when interpreted in the context of the other two sub-projects, these results will also provide important new information regarding the different brain regions where visual selective attention can influence perceptual processing. The University of British Columbia is uniquely equipped to house a project with the scope of the present proposal. UBC has research-dedicated, state-of-the-art, fMRI and ERP facilities at the Brain Research Center. Furthermore, UBC hosts a select group of highly expert academics in the fields of Cognitive Neurosciences and Visual Perception, who will provide the PI the appropriate learning training environment.