David Melcher

Program Head, Psychology; Professor of Psychology; Global Network Professor of Psychology Affiliation: NYU Abu Dhabi
Education: PhD Rutgers University

david.melcher@nyu.edu

Research Websites: Perception and Active Cognition Lab

Research Areas: Cognitive Neuroscience, Perception, Attention, Working Memory, Eye Movements

David Melcher investigates the interaction of perception, attention, memory and action within a cognitive neuroscience framework. He received his PhD in Psychology and Cognitive Science in 2001 from Rutgers University and, since then, has worked as a researcher and then professor in Italy and the UK. His main research interest is how attention, perception, memory, emotion and self-movement interact in guiding our cognition and actions, as well as the neural underpinnings of these capacities. He has published numerous articles in international, peer-reviewed journals such as Nature, Nature Neuroscience, Neuron, Current Biology, PNAS, Trends in Cognitive Science, Cognition, and the Journal of Neuroscience. These studies have used a variety of cognitive neuroscience methods, including fMRI, EEG, MEG, eye-tracking and behavioral studies, as well as the use of computational modeling and cognitive neuropsychological investigations with clinical populations. In 2011, the American Psychological Association recognized the impact of this work in the field of cognitive neuroscience by awarding him a “Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology.” He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Vision, Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, the journal Perception, and the open-access journal iPerception. His research has been funded by, among others, the European Research Council, the US National Institutes of Health, the Italian Ministry of Research and Education, and the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Expert Affairs.