Nicolas Brunet
Contact
Education
Dr. Brunet earned a BA in Physics from the Universidad de Las Americas in Puebla (Mexico) and a PhD in Molecular Biophysics from Florida State University. Before joining CSUSB, he held research positions at several R1 institutions: the University of Washington (Seattle, WA), the Donders Institute for Brian, Cognition and Behavior (The Netherlands), the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh, PA), and the State University of New York (Brooklyn, NY). He also was an Assistant Professor of Neuroscience at Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi.
Research and Teaching Interests
Dr. Brunet's research focuses on exploring the neural underpinnings of visual information processing and oculomotor behavior; more specifically, how visual inputs are modulated by various cognitive processes (e.g. attention, motivation, and experience), as the neural code travels from primary to higher visual areas, and then to the more specialized visual regions, selective for faces, objects, or places. For this purpose, he uses scalp electroencephalography (EEG), in combination with psychophysics and computational methods. Thanks to grant support from the National Institute of Health (NIH), Dr. Brunet plans to offer multiple research opportunities for students: (1) eye tracking studies to investigate whether eye movements can be used to diagnose concussion; (2) human psychophysics to study how we perceive faces; and (3) EEG to uncover the cognitive mechanisms of visual perception and attention.