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Professor Allison Sekuler
Photo Credit: Glenn
Lowson
The Amazing, Changing, Aging
Brain
The “graying population” is the fastest
growing group in Canada. However, we know relatively little
about how aging affects critical functions such as vision and
brain processing. For a long time, it was assumed that once
we passed a certain age, the brain was essentially fixed, and
could only deteriorate. Recent research challenges this notion,
showing that the brain retains tremendous plasticity well into
adulthood.
Professor Sekuler will describe results she and her collaborators
have found supporting this idea of “amazing, changing,
aging brains.” Although aging does lead to declines in
a range of abilities, other abilities are spared or may even
improve with age. Professor Sekuler will discuss the trade-offs
in brain processing that occur as we age, and will describe
evidence suggesting that we really can teach old brains new
tricks.
This is a free public
lecture.
All are welcome!
Tuesday, May 3, 2005
Hamilton Spectator Auditorium
Doors open @ 6:30 pm
Lecture begins at 7:00 pm
To reserve your seat
e-mail sciencecity@mcmaster.ca
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Allison Sekuler is an example of McMaster University’s
growing “brain gain.” After completing her
undergraduate work at Pomona College (Mathematics and
Psychology) and her Ph.D. at the University of California
at Berkeley (Psychology), she joined the faculty at
the University of Toronto in 1990. In 2001, Professor
Sekuler moved to McMaster as Professor and Canada
Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience in the
department of Psychology.
She currently serves as Associate Chair (Graduate) and
Research & Advancement Officer for Psychology, and
she is an adjunct member of York University’s
Centre for Vision Research.
Professor Sekuler’s research focuses on visual
perception. She combines innovative behavioural techniques
with modern neuroimaging approaches to understand how
our brains interpret the world around us, and how vision
and the brain change as a function of age and experience.
She also has made significant contributions toward our
understanding of face perception, motion perception,
object recognition, perceptual organization, visual
attention, perceptual learning, and pattern vision.
In November 2004, Professor Sekuler’s research
garnered her the distinction of a "Leader of Tomorrow",
a title only a select few young Canadian scientists
have earned. This designation was awarded by the Partnership
Group for Science and Engineering (PAGSE) and Natural
Sciences and Engineering Research Council, recognizing
her dedication to research showing how the human brain
processes visual information and how that processing
changes as a function of aging. She also has been recognized
as an Alexander von Humboldt research fellow, and as
an Ontario Distinguished Researcher. Her research is
funded by NSERC, CIHR, CFI, and the Canada Research
Chairs program.
Allison
Sekuler's Homepage
Read the Hamilton Spectator article:
Grey
matter workout key to aging
Read the Daily News Stories:
McMaster
psychologist named Leader of Tomorrow
Facing
the facts about recognizing faces
Study
reveals older people get the big picture faster
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The Hamilton Spectator Auditorium
is located in the Hamilton Spectator at 44 Frid Street,
south of Main Street West, west of Dundurn St.
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