TORONTO, June 22, 2015 - The process of seeing is a lot more complicated than it looks. A roster of leading biological and computer vision researchers will discuss the latest research on how humans and machines integrate and organize visual cues, June 24 to 26, at York University.

The international speakers will showcase their work at the York University Centre for Vision Research International Conference on Perceptual Organization. The themes for the conference will include object boundaries and shape, light and shading, visual scenes and motion, and more.

The conference is organized by York U Professor James Elder, who received $1.65 million last month from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, to lead a program in data analytics and visualization over the next six years.

Topics and speakers will include:

• York U Professor Laurence Harris will address the role of the body in perceptual organization;
• Rutgers University Professor Steve Silverstein will discuss impairments to perceptual organization in schizophrenia and resulting clues to the neurobiology underlying this disease;
• Bielefeld University Professor Marc Ernst will explore common mechanisms of perceptual organization in vision and our sense of touch.
• University of Toronto Professor Dirk Bernhardt-Walther will assess 2D cues to 3D structure in real-world scenes;
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Bill Freeman will detail his team’s recent development of a “motion microscope” that magnifies tiny motions, such as the breathing of a premature baby; and
• University of Southampton Professor Wendy Adams will speak on how we use our sense of vision and touch to determine whether an object is shiny.

WHAT: International Conference on Perceptual Organization

WHERE: 109 Accolade West Building (June 24 & 25); and 206 Accolade West Building (June 26), York University, Keele campus (building number 93 on map).

WHEN: Wednesday, June 24 to Friday, June 26, 2015

The program schedule is available on the conference website.

York University is helping to shape the global thinkers and thinking that will define tomorrow. York U’s unwavering commitment to excellence reflects a rich diversity of perspectives and a strong sense of social responsibility that sets us apart. A York U degree empowers graduates to thrive in the world and achieve their life goals through a rigorous academic foundation balanced by real-world experiential education. As a globally recognized research centre, York U is fully engaged in the critical discussions that lead to innovative solutions to the most pressing local and global social challenges. York U’s 11 faculties and 25 research centres are thinking bigger, broader and more globally, partnering with 280 leading universities worldwide. York U’s community is strong − 55,000 students, 7,000 faculty and staff, and more than 275,000 alumni.

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Media Contact: 
Sandra McLean, York University, 416-736-2100 ext. 22097 / sandramc@yorku.ca