Evan Cesanek

Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute

Columbia University (New York, USA)

Motor memories of the mechanical properties of objects

2021-2022: Spring

Dr. Evan Cesanek is a postdoctoral scientist at Columbia University's Zuckerman Institute. He studies how the brain controls movement, with a particular focus on the mechanisms that enable humans to skillfully grasp and manipulate objects. His inventive behavioral experiments use sophisticated virtual reality and haptic interfaces to create realistic but tightly controlled simulations of real physical objects. His latest work demonstrates the need for an entirely new approach to the way that the mechanical properties of objects, which are critical for motor control, are thought to be stored in memory. His research has also revealed surprising interactions between the control of grasping movements and 3D visual perception. Dr. Cesanek received his PhD in Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences from Brown University and his BA in Cognitive Science from Vassar College.