Date: Friday, February 14, 2025
Time: 12:00pm – 1:00pm
Location: Simons Center Conference room 46-6011 + Zoom (https://mit.zoom.us/j/99342137501)

Speaker: Dr. Emalie McMahon
Affiliation: Postdoctoral Associate, Nancy Kanwisher Lab, McGovern Institute, MIT

Talk title: The computational basis of human social vision
Abstract: Understanding the social interactions of others is a fundamental human ability that relies on complex neural processes and shapes our social decisions. My work focuses on uncovering the computational mechanisms behind this process, particularly the visual basis of this ability. By combining psychology, neuroscience, and computer science, I have demonstrated how the brain organizes and processes social-visual information, particular its reliance on hierarchical spatiotemporal computations. I also explored the limitations of artificial intelligence in modeling human social perception, revealing significant gaps compared to human social perception. My research advances our understanding of how the brain perceives social interactions, informs the development of socially intelligent AI, and provides a mechanistic basis for characterizing typical and atypical development, such as autism.