Claudia Damiano
Postdoctoral Researcher
Bernhardt-Walther Lab, University of Toronto
claudia.damiano@utoronto.ca
Broadly, my research interests span a wide range of topics related to visual cognition. I am interested in understanding how the physical features of our natural world are processed by our brains to guide visual attention, influence memory, and impact aesthetic preferences and emotions. Ultimately, I strive to be able to apply my research to the development of assistive technologies that will enhance well-being by promoting processing fluency and pleasant experiences while decreasing stress.
I am currently a postdoctoral researcher in the BWLab at the University of Toronto working with Dirk Bernhardt-Walther. Previously, I worked with Johan Wagemans in the GestaltReVision Lab at KU Leuven in Belgium. My ongoing work examines the link between visual features and aesthetic pleasure of natural environments, using a combination of behavioural and computational techniques.
Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship, 2021
FoVea Travel and Networking award, 2020
Council of Canadian Departments of Psychology TA award, 2019
NSERC PGS-D, 2017
PhD 2019, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
MA 2015, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
BA&Sc 2014, Department of Cognitive Science, McGill University
Damiano, C. et al. (2023). Anger is red, sadness is blue: Emotion depictions in abstract visual art by artists and non-artists. Journal of Vision. PDF.
Damiano, C., Walther D.B., & Cunningham, W.A. (2021). Contour features predict valence and threat judgements in scenes. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1-12. PDF.
Damiano, C., Wilder, J., Zhou, E.Y., Walther, D.B., and Wagemans, J. (2021). The role of local and global symmetry in pleasure, interest, and complexity judgements of natural scenes. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. PDF.
May 8-10, 2024 International Association for Empirical Aesthetics Conference, Palma, Spain
May 17-22, 2024 Annual meeting of the Vision Sciences Society, St Pete Beach, USA