Jocelyn Faubert

Jocelyn Faubert
Born1959
NationalityCanadian
Alma materConcordia University
Known forNeurophysics, Visual Perception
Scientific career
FieldsPsychophysics, Neuroscience
InstitutionsUniversity of Montreal

Jocelyn Faubert (born 1959) is a Canadian psychophysicist best known for his work in the fields of visual perception, vision of the elderly, and neuropsychology. Faubert holds the NSERC-Essilor Industrial Research Chair in Visual Perception and Presbyopia.[1] He is the director of the Laboratory of Psychophysics and Visual Perception at the University of Montreal.[2] Faubert has also been involved in the[3] transfer of research and developments from the laboratory into the commercial domain. He is a co-founder and member of the Board of Directors of CogniSens Inc.[4]

Faubert obtained his M.Sc. and Ph.D. from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Faubert's early work was related to aging, vision, and glaucoma.[5][6] More recently, his work has focused on neuroplasticity as it relates to visual perception and cognitive performance.

Research

Faubert oversees the work of a team of researchers and post-doctoral fellows[7] in his multidisciplinary psychophysical and visual perception laboratory. Research areas include Brain Function, Perception, Multi-sensory integration, Neurolobiological Alterations (Autism, aging, mTBI, Stroke), Neurological systems, Biophonics, Nanophotonics and Optics.[citation needed] Over 130 peer-reviewed articles[8] have resulted from the research conducted at the laboratory, as well as several patents.

Technologies

The laboratory makes use of several suites of technology to conduct its research:

  • EON Icube : A Multi-sided immersive environment in which participants are completely surrounded by virtual imagery and 3D sound.[9]
  • CAVE :The Cave Automatic Virtual Environment is an advanced display system of the size of a room. It combines stereoscopic projection and high-resolution 3D computer graphics to create the illusion of being present in a virtual environment.[10]
  • EEG: the recording of electrical activity along the scalp produced by the firing of neurons within the brain. EEG refers to the recording of the brain's spontaneous electrical activity over a short period of time as recorded from multiple electrodes placed on the scalp.
  • Driving Simulator: An immersive 180° field-of-view screen with simulated rear and side-view mirrors. Used extensively in research into the driving capacity of the elderly.[citation needed]

Laboratory research populations

The laboratory utilises its 3D technologies and diagnostic equipment to investigate perceptual cognitive issues in various populations: adults, the elderly,[11] children,[12] autistics[13] and those suffering from mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI).[14]

Scientific research

Faubert and colleagues were able to pinpoint the effect of normal aging on visual and perceptual functions. One important study demonstrated that it is not the physical tools of vision which are affected by aging. Rather, it is a loss of computational or processing ability of the brain that ultimately affects visual perception as people age.[15][16][17][18][19]

Faubert and colleagues examined the impact of developmental disorders (autism, fragile x syndrome, etc.) on visual function. They were able to demonstrate that in the case of autism (unlike fragile x), patients' results are not pathway-specific, but rather are dependent on the complexity of the neural processing required to perceive the image. Over the course of their studies, Faubert and colleagues observed autism patients who could significantly outperform the general population at certain visual tasks, and patients who could significantly underperform the general population at the same tasks.[20][21]

The laboratory engages in research concerning illusions in order to investigate perceptual function. For example, the peripheral drift illusion illustrates that temporal differences in luminance processing produce a signal that tricks the motion system.[22]

Mild Perceptual Impairment (MPI) is a term that covers the deficits in complex perception that accompany reduced cognitive ability in the elderly, those affected by Autism, and also those individuals suffering from mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI).[23] Faubert's recent research has covered the detection of these deficits through detecting distinct "perceptual signatures" as well as through simulated optic flow in a virtual environment,[24] assessing postural reactivity to determine cognitive-perceptual levels.

Awards and honors

Faubert has seven distinct patents registered worldwide. He has acted as a referee for more than 17 peer-reviewed academic journals. He has been a guest lecturer including the Joe Brunei Award lecture in recognition for outstanding contributions in Ophthalmic Optics in 2009.

Patents

Faubert has been engaged in transferring technology from the academic world to the biomedical industry. This has led to seven distinct patents (3 delivered, 4 pending) all of which are licensed to spin-off companies.

Between 2007 and 2009, Faubert and colleagues patented a series of technologies designed to aid in the assessment and intervention of early neurobiological alterations (NBA) such as concussions, dementia, developmental disorders (e.g. autism, fragile X) etc.[25][26][27] In 2010, a spin-off company licensed these technologies with a variety of medical and athletic purposes.[4]

In 1999, Faubert, along with Vasile Diaconu, patented "On-line Spectroreflectometry Oxygenation Measurement in the Eye" (O.S.O.M.E). This development allows doctors to measure a patient's blood oxygen level non-invasively. The device instead is able to check the color of the retinal artery at the back of the eye and render a precise measurement in a matter of seconds.[28][29][30] This technology and 2 other related technologies are licensed to a spin-off company that is fabricating new generation retinal cameras for ophthalmologists and optometrists.

Technology transfer

Faubert and the Visual Perception and Psychophysics Laboratory have been involved in transferring laboratory developments into the commercial domain since 1999.[28] Several funding agencies have been involved in brokering this technology transfer. From the commercial domain, Essilor (an ophthalmic lens company) has partnered with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC). Together, their aim has been to explore the connection between aging, visual perception, and posture. Faubert has been a chairholder at the NSERC since 2003, at which time his laboratory received a five-year grant (renewed in 2008).[1]

In a separate commercial venture, Faubert's Laboratory has partnered with Univalor (a technology transfer specialist), CogniSens Inc.[31] (a biomedical technology company) and Cognisens Athletics Inc.,[32] licensing four technologies related to visual perception and brain function. The aim of this partnership is to commercialize Faubert's research in the medical and team sports markets. Applications include concussion detection (NeuroMinder C3)[33] and perceptual-cognitive training (NeuroTracker).[4][34]

References

  1. ^ a b "NSERC - Chairholder Profile". Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada. 2009-01-15. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  2. ^ "Visual Perception and Psychophysics Laboratory". University of Montreal School of Optometry. 2010. Archived from the original on 2012-03-19. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
  3. ^ Lewis, Rob (2010-10-13). "Canada's Top 10 selected in Technology, Cleantech, and Life Sciences". TechVibes. Archived from the original on 2010-11-18. Retrieved 2011-01-25.
  4. ^ a b c "Corporate Information". CogniSens Inc. 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-10-29. Retrieved 2011-01-18.
  5. ^ Faubert, Jocelyn (1986), "Temporal, spatial and chromatic mechanisms: their interrelationship in the glaucomatous eye", Concordia University, 4402, archived from the original on 2011-07-06
  6. ^ Faubert, Jocelyn (1991), "Retino-geniculate pathways and the spatio-temporal properties of the human visual system in normal, aging, and glaucomatous vision", Concordia University, 4120, archived from the original on 2011-07-06
  7. ^ "Membres". Visual Psychophysics and Perception Laboratory. University of Montreal. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  8. ^ "Publications". Laboratoire de psychophysique et de perception visuelle, Université de Montréal. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  9. ^ "Eon Icube". eonreality.com. Eon Reality. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  10. ^ "The CAVE: A Virtual Reality Theater". HPCCV Publications. Retrieved 2011-01-26.
  11. ^ Faubert, Jocelyn (2002). "Visual perception and aging". Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology. 56 (3): 164–76. doi:10.1037/h0087394. PMID 12271747.[dead link‍]
  12. ^ Faubert, Jocelyn; A. Bertone; J. Hanck; K.M. Cornish (2008). "Development of static and dynamic perception for luminance-defined and texture-defined information" (PDF). NeuroReport. 19 (2): 225–228. doi:10.1097/wnr.0b013e3282f48401. PMID 18185113. S2CID 35453160. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  13. ^ Faubert, Jocelyn; A. Bertone (2006). "Demonstrations of decreased sensitivity to complex motion information not enough to propose autism-specific neural etiology" (PDF). Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. 36 (1): 55–64. doi:10.1007/s10803-005-0042-5. PMID 16374669. S2CID 17644777. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  14. ^ Faubert, Jocelyn; O. Brosseau-Lachaine; R. Forget; O. Gagnon (2008). "Mild traumatic brain injury induces prolonged visual processing deficits in children" (PDF). Brain Injury. 22 (9): 657–68. doi:10.1080/02699050802203353. PMID 18698516. S2CID 14436600. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  15. ^ Faubert, J; Legault, I; Allard, R (Dec 2007), "Normal aging and the perception of curvature shapes", Optometry and Vision Science, 84 (12): 1087–92, doi:10.1097/opx.0b013e31815b9e25, PMID 18091307, S2CID 2500581
  16. ^ Faubert, J; Laframboise, S; De Guise, D (Aug 2006), "Effect of aging on stereoscopic interocular correlation", Optometry and Vision Science, 83 (8): 589–93, doi:10.1097/01.opx.0000230267.19805.75, PMID 16909084, S2CID 14966339
  17. ^ Faubert, J; Habak, C (2000). "Larger effect of aging on the perception of higher-order stimuli". Vision Research. 40 (8): 943–950. doi:10.1016/S0042-6989(99)00235-7. PMID 10720665.
  18. ^ Herbert, A; Overbury, O; Singh, J; Faubert, J (2002). "Aging and Bilateral Symmetry Detection" (PDF). Journal of Gerontology. 57B (3): 241–245. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  19. ^ Faubert, J (2002). "Visual Perception and Aging" (PDF). Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology. 56 (3): 164–176. doi:10.1037/h0087394. PMID 12271747. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  20. ^ Faubert, J; Bertone, A; Mottron, L; Jelenic, P (Oct 2005), "Enhanced and diminished visuo-spatial information processing in autism depends on stimulus complexity", Brain, 128 (10): 2430–2441, doi:10.1093/brain/awh561, PMID 15958508, archived from the original on 2012-09-11
  21. ^ Faubert, J; Cogan, C. S. (Nov 2004), "Integrative cortical dysfunction and pervasive motion perception deficit in fragile X syndrome", Neurology, 63 (9): 1634–1639, doi:10.1212/01.WNL.0000142987.44035.3B, PMID 15534248, S2CID 16700186
  22. ^ Faubert, Jocelyn; Andrew M Herbert (1999). "The peripheral drift illusion: A motion illusion in the visual periphery" (PDF). Perception. 28 (5): 617–21. doi:10.1068/p2825. PMID 10664757. S2CID 577979. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  23. ^ Faubert, Jocelyn; Brosseau-Lachaine, O.; Gagnon I.; Forget, R. (2008). "Mild traumatic brain injury induces prolonged visual processing deficits in children" (PDF). Brain Injury. 22 (9): 657–68. doi:10.1080/02699050802203353. PMID 18698516. S2CID 14436600. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-01-27.
  24. ^ Faubert, Jocelyn; Jean-Marie Hanssens; Philippe Turpin-Lavallée; Roshan Soowamber (2010-08-13). "Visual control of posture as a function of age and cognitive task and its relationship with subjective discomfort". Journal of Vision. 10 (7): 1022. doi:10.1167/10.7.1022.
  25. ^ US 10485466, Faubert, Jocelyn & Bertone, Armando, "Device and method for measuring mild perceptual impairment", published 2019-11-26, assigned to Cognisens Inc. 
  26. ^ EP 2349002, Faubert, Jocelyn & Tinjust, David, "Method and device for assessing, training, and improving perceptual-cognitive abilities of individuals", published 2021-05-05, assigned to Cognisens Inc. 
  27. ^ EP 2079430, Faubert, Jocelyn; Doti, Rafael & Lugo-Arce, Jesus-Eduardo, "Method and system for improving a subject's sensory, reflex and/or motor mechanisms via auditory, tactile or visual stimulations", published 2016-02-10, assigned to Valorisation-Recherche LLC 
  28. ^ a b US 5919132, Faubert, Jocelyn & Diaconu, Vasile, "On-line and real-time spectroreflectometry measurement of oxygenation in a patient's eye", published 1999-07-06, assigned to Universite de Montreal 
  29. ^ EP 1065968, Faubert, Jocelyn & Diaconu, Vasile, "Spectroreflectometric measurement of oxygenation in a patient's eye", published 2007-03-21, assigned to Universite de Montreal 
  30. ^ US 6416481, Faubert, Jocelyn & Diaconu, Vasile, "Flicker-induced interocular transfer-of-oxygenation for non-invasively assessing the neural integrity of a patient's central nervous system", published 2002-07-09, assigned to Universite de Montreal 
  31. ^ "Cognisens Inc". Archived from the original on 2011-01-12. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  32. ^ "Cognisens Athletics". Archived from the original on 2011-02-08. Retrieved 2011-02-04.
  33. ^ Hadekel, Peter (2010-12-22). "Start-up assesses Athlete Concussions". The Montreal Gazette. Archived from the original on 2010-12-25. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
  34. ^ "Licenses and Assignments". Univalor. 2010. Archived from the original on 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2011-02-03.