Highlighting the Postdoctoral Achievements: Dr. Erin Bojanek, PhD, with a Bachelor's degree from '14
Dr. Erin Bojanek, a researcher at the Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab at the University of Rochester, is delving into the intricacies of visual perception in individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
Bojanek's work, which combines neurophysiological methods and behavioural experiments, focuses on understanding the differences in local-global processing—a cognitive phenomenon where local processing refers to attention to fine details, and global processing refers to perceiving overall shapes or patterns.
In ASD, there is evidence of a bias or enhanced ability towards local processing over global processing. Dr. Bojanek's research aims to identify how brain activity patterns differ in individuals with ASD during tasks requiring local versus global visual processing. By understanding these differences, she hopes to shed light on sensory perception, social cognition, and other core features of ASD.
Moreover, Dr. Bojanek's study seeks to explore how alterations in brain connectivity or neural dynamics contribute to the local-global processing differences observed in ASD. This research could potentially inform better diagnostic tools and support tailored interventions targeting sensory and cognitive processing in ASD.
Dr. Bojanek's academic journey began at the Brain and Cognitive Sciences Department at the University of Rochester, where she received her undergraduate degree. Her research in the CNL lab was instrumental in shaping her new techniques and questions. Tris Smith, PhD, a pioneer in autism research, was a significant mentor during her undergraduate training.
In her current study, Dr. Bojanek is investigating how autistic children process and complete visual information. She plans to understand if autistic individuals focus more on individual segments rather than the whole picture, and how they put together incomplete visual information to form a complete picture.
Dr. Bojanek's clinical work and research are integrally linked. Her clinical skills, honed under the guidance of Laura Silverman, PhD, and Heather Adams, PhD, play a significant role in her learning process. She is also an instructor in the Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Lab.
Dr. Bojanek holds a PhD in Clinical Child Psychology and is currently working at an academic medical center that is also an Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center (IDDRC). Her career aspirations include maintaining a research focus while also maintaining a clinical component.
Dr. Bojanek's interest in working with children was influenced by her mother, who was a special education teacher. Her pursuit to study autism was solidified by the mentorship of Tris Smith, PhD. Through her research, Dr. Bojanek continues to make strides in understanding the perceptual and neural basis of local-global processing differences in autism, with the ultimate goal of improving the lives of those with ASD.
- Dr. Bojanek's research, focusing on individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), aims to reveal insights about sensory perception, social cognition, and other core features, including mental health and neurological disorders, by investigating differences in local-global processing.
- Understanding the local-global processing differences in ASD, due to its potential impact on diagnostic tools and tailored interventions for health-and-wellness issues like mental health and neurological disorders, can make a significant difference in the lives of those affected by autism spectrum disorder.
