Academic history
B.S.E., Electrical Engineering, Princeton University, 1998-2002
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 2002-2010
Post-doctoral associate, Biomedical Engineering, Boston University, 2010-
Research interests
I am interested in the psychophysical and neural mechanisms that underlie human motion and depth perception at a systems level. My work has focused on the ability of
human observers to extract information about the motion of objects--in particular, through depth--based on a variety of visual cues. This is critical to
understanding how the visual system adepts to changing environments, and challenging situations in which the preferred visual information may not be available. To this
end, I have used mathematical constructs, such as ideal observer models and biologically constrained computational models, to study how the visual system extracts and
utilizes various sources of motion and depth information. Complementing this work is a recent focus on human neuroimaging, and in particular, the study of connected
networks that mediate the detection of object motion in visually complex situations, such as observer motion. By coupling a mathematical understanding of the
behavioral mechanisms with a systems-level understanding of neural mechanisms, new insights into the complexity of sensory processing in the human brain can be probed.
Peer-reviewed publications
Calabro FJ, Vaina LM. (2012). Interaction of cortical networks mediating object motion detection by moving observers. Experimental Brain Research. 221(2):177-189.
Calabro FJ, Beardsley SA, Vaina LM (2011). Different motion cues are used to estimate
time-to-arrival for frontoparallel and looming trajectories.
Vision Research 2011 Dec 8;51(23-24):2378-85
Calabro FJ, Soto-Faraco S, Vaina LM (2011). Acoustic facilitation of object movement detection during self-motion. Proceedings of the Royal
Society of London B. Sep 22;278(1719):2840-7. Abstract, pdf
Calabro FJ, Rana KR, Vaina LM (2011). "Two mechanisms for optic flow and scale change processing of looming." Journal of Vision 11 (3): 5, 1-9.
Abstract, pdf
Calabro FJ, Vaina LM (2011). "A Computerized Perimeter for Assessing Modality-Specific Visual
Field Loss". Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 2011;2011:2025-8 pdf
Calabro FJ, Vaina LM. (2011). Population Anisotropy in Area MT Explains a Perceptual Difference Between Near
and Far Disparity Motion Segmentation. Journal of Neurophysiology, 105 (1):200-208.
Abstract,
pdf
Vaina LM, Calabro FJ, Lin FH, Hamalainen MS. (2010). Long-range coupling of prefrontal cortex and visual
(MT) or polysensory (STP) cortical areas in motion perception. BIOMAG2010, IFBME Proceedings Series, Springer
Verlag IFBME.
pdf
Sikoglu EM, Calabro FJ, Beardsley SA, Vaina LM. (2010). Integration mechanisms for heading perception. Seeing
and Perceiving, 23 (3): 197-221.
Abstract, pdf
Calabro FJ, Vaina LM. (2006). Stereo motion transparency processing implements an ecological smoothness
constraint. Perception, 35 (9), 1219-1232.
Abstract,
pdf
Conference presentations
Calabro, FJ, Vaina, LM (2011). Detection of object motion during self-motion: psychophysics and neuronal substrate. Journal of Vision, 11(11):722. Abstract
Vaina, LM, Rana, KD, Buonanno, F, Calabro, FJ, Hamalainen, M. (2011). Deficit of temporal dynamics of detection of a moving object during egomotion in a
stroke patient: a psychophysical and MEG study. Journal of Vision, 11(11): 723. Abstract
Calabro FJ, Vaina LM. (2009). Modeling disparity tuning properties of MT for depth segmentation during motion
perception. Thirteenth International Conference on Cognitive and Neural Systems. Boston, Ma.
Conference Information
Calabro FJ, Vaina LM. (2007) Scale changes provide an alternative means for coarse heading perception.
Perception 36 (Abstract Supplement). European Conference on Visual Perception. Arezzo, Italy.
Abstract
Calabro FJ, Vaina LM. (2006) Perception of stereomotion coherence in the presence of planar or volumetric dynamic noise.
Journal of Vision, 6(6): 624; doi:10.1167/6.6.624
Abstract
Sikoglu EM, Beardsley SA, Calabro FJ, Vaina LM. (2006). Comparison of 2D and 3D ideal observers to
characterize heading perception with directional range noise. Journal of Vision, 6(6): 632;
doi:10.1167/6.6.632
Abstract
Calabro FJ, Beardsley SA, Vaina LM. (2005). The contribution of disparity to motion contrast segmentation.
Journal of Vision, 5(8), 726; doi:10.1167/5.8.726.
Abstract
Calabro FJ, Beardsley SA, Vaina LM. (2004). Effects of disparity and noise on motion transparency.
Journal of Vision, 4(8), 857; doi:10.1167/4.8.857.
Abstract
Personal
I play violin in the
Quincy Symphony Orchestra.
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