About

The Perception & Integration Lab at Idaho State University is dedicated to understanding how we perceive the world around us. How do sensory inputs interact with our brain to form coherent perceptions and day-to-day experiences? To gain insight into this broad question, we use neuroimaging (fNIRS, fMRI), non-invasive brain stimulation (tDCS, TMS), and psychophysical methods to explore how sensory and perceptual mechanisms influence, and are influenced by, broader human traits and behaviors.

Our research spans a range of topics, from the basic mechanisms of motion perception and visual crowding, to the impact of early nutrition on visual development, to the influence of error correction brain networks for experiencing tonal and rhythmic structures in auditory and music perception.

Current areas of active research in the lab include:

Examining the role of visual processing in human neurodiversity
Investigating ways of harnessing brain plasticity to improve the visual experiences of people living with eye and vision disorders.
Studying how people adjust to unpredictable auditory and musical environments with respect to perceptual experience, learning, and cognitive control.

Publications

Early Nutrition is Associated With Global Motion Perception and V5 Function in 7‐Year‐Old Children Born Very Preterm

Linda Nguyen, Andrew E. Silva, Tanya Poppe, Myra Leung, Jane M. Alsweiler, Joanna Black, Jane E. Harding, Anna C. Tottman, Benjamin Thompson

Human Brain Mapping, vol. 46, Wiley, 2025 Jul

Characterizing the circularly oriented macular pigment using spatiotemporal sensitivity to structured light entoptic phenomena

Dmitry A. Pushin, Davis V. Garrad, Connor Kapahi, Andrew E. Silva, Pinki Chahal, David G. Cory, Mukhit Kulmaganbetov, Iman Salehi, Melanie A. Mungalsingh, Taranjit Singh, Benjamin Thompson, Daniel Yu, Dusan Sarenac

Journal of Vision, vol. 25, Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), 2025 May, p. 11

Neonatal Nutrition and Brain Structure at 7 Years in Children Born Very Preterm

Tanya Poppe, Anna C. Tottman, Greg D. Gamble, Yannan Jiang, Andrew E. Silva, Linda Nguyen, Jane E. Harding, Jane M. Alsweiler, Benjamin Thompson, Janene B Biggs, Coila Bevan, Joanna M Black, Frank H Bloomfield, Kelly Fredell, Sabine Huth, Christine Keven, Myra Leung, Geraint Phillips, Jennifer A Rogers, Heather Stewart, Kathryn A Williamson, Trecia A Wouldes

JAMA Network Open, vol. 8, American Medical Association (AMA), 2025 Jan, pp. e2456080

Visual cortex anodal transcranial direct current stimulation does not alter reading performance for Chinese presented character-by-character to normal peripheral vision in older adults

Anqi Lyu, Andrew E. Silva, Benjamin Thompson, Larry Abel, Allen M. Y. Cheong

Frontiers in Neuroscience, vol. 18, Frontiers Media SA, 2024 Apr

Measuring the visual angle of polarization-related entoptic phenomena using structured light

C. Kapahi, A. E. Silva, D. G. Cory, M. Kulmaganbetov, M. A. Mungalsingh, D. A. Pushin, T. Singh, B. Thompson, D. Sarenac

Biomedical Optics Express, vol. 15, Optica Publishing Group, 2024 Jan, p. 1278

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