Skip to content

Jacqueline C. Walsh-Snow, Ph.D.

Research Interests

I am a Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology, University of Utah. My research explores the cognitive and neural basis of naturalistic vision. Our research uses multipronged methods, including behavioral psychophysics, fMRI, neuropsychology, eye-tracking, EEG, and motion kinematics.

Ultimately, we aim to generalize and translate scientific knowledge to the real world, yet our understanding of human vision is based almost exclusively on studies of impoverished stimuli presented in the form of pictures or computerized images. A general assumption in our field has been that artificial stimuli are appropriate proxies for real objects to characterize vision, cognition, and neural coding. The research from my laboratory tests this foundational assumption by examining whether real-world stimuli are processed and represented differently to 2-D images, 3-D stereoscopic images, and high-fidelity “graspable” 3-D augmented reality projections. My lab is one of very few worldwide to have pioneered innovative new paradigms, techniques, and apparatus to allow a “real world” approach to cognitive neuroscience.

Our research has led to new insights regarding the source and nature of reality effects on behavioral and brain responses. We have documented the effects of reality across a wide range of cognitive domains. We have replicated our findings, and convergent results have emerged across a wide range of measures. Our empirical work has evolved from early questions concerning whether reality triggers response differences, to addressing fundamental mechanistic questions that target the nature of the underlying representations. Ultimately, our work promises to reveal how and why the perceptual and motor systems are fundamentally integrated, and how they influence one another during naturalistic vision. Our work has broad translational impacts, which include identifying effective target sites for the placement of brain-computer interfaces, understanding the development of object representations across the lifespan, improving educational strategies in the classroom, understanding visual perceptual disorders, developing more ecologically valid and cost-effective cognitive testing and assessment routines, and developing more effective neuro-rehabilitation approaches.

Opportunities for Students

  • Postdoctoral fellows: Dr. Walsh-Snow is accepting postdoctoral fellows to begin Fall of 2025. Postdoc Application Details
  • Lab Research Assistant:RA Application Details
  • Graduate Students: Dr. Walsh-Snow is accepting graduate students to begin Fall of 2026. 
  • Undergraduate Research Assistants We are also looking for undergraduate research assistants. Ideal candidates are students currently majoring in Psychology, Biology, Medicine, Neuroscience, Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering, or other health-related fields (at least sophomore year) with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. Students who are enthusiastic, independent, creative, and not afraid of taking on new challenges are encouraged to apply. We require at least 4 hours of work per week, and prefer 6, so only students who are able to commit to that time should inquire. We will provide the necessary training. However, students should have some degree of computer experience at a minimum (i.e., familiar with the internet and Microsoft Word and have access to email), and those who have experience in computer programming (Matlab, Python, R) or data entry are particularly encouraged to apply. If you are interested applying, please email Professor Walsh-Snow directly with the subject line “Application for Undergraduate Research Assistant Position.

Education

Summary: My training background is in psychology and neuroscience, specializing in neuropsychology and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). I am fortunate to have had the opportunity to work closely with individuals who have shaped the fields of perception and action, including Glyn Humphreys (perception and action affordances), Melvyn Goodale (two visual streams framework of human vision), Jody Culham (neural coding of action and tool use), and Marlene Behrmann (visual function across the lifespan). I have over 15 years of experience with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), neuropsychological patient testing, and behavioral psychophysics.

BA, Monash University, Australia (1995), Psychology/Zoology
BSc(Hons), Monash University, Australia (1997), Psychology
Master of Psychology (Clinical Neuropsychology) / PhD (Cognitive Neuroscience) Combined degree program, University of Melbourne, Australia (2006)
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Birmingham, England      (2006-2008)
Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Western Ontario, Canada (2008-2013)

Selected Publications

  1. Real-world vision

Fairchild, G.T., Holler, D.E., Fabbri, S., Gomez, M.A., Rudd, M., and Walsh-Snow, J.C. (in press). Object Representations in human ventral and dorsal cortex depend on display format and physical distance. Cerebral Cortex.

 Walsh-Snow, J.C., Yang, Y., & Romero, C.  (2025).  Perceived food value depends on display format, preference strength, and physical accessibility. Appetite. May 1:209:107973. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2025.107973. PMID: 40118254.

Snow, J.C., Gomez, M.A., and Compton, M.T. (2023). Human memory for real-world solid objects is not predicted by responses to image displays.Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 152(10), 2703-2712. doi: 10.1037/xge0001387. PMID: 37079829.

Snow, J.C. and Culham, J.C. (2021). The treachery of images: How realism influences brain and behavior. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 25(6): 506-519. doi: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.02.008. PMID: 33775583.

Fairchild, G.T., Marini, F., and Snow, J.C. (2021). Graspability modulates the stronger EEG signature of motor preparation for real objects vs. pictures. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 33 (12): 2477–2493. PMID: 34407193.

Holler, D., Fabbri, S., and Snow, J.C. (2020). Object responses are highly malleable, rather than invariant, with changes in object appearance. Scientific Reports, 10 (1), 4654. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-61447-8. PMID: 32170123.

Gomez, M.A., Skiba, R.M. and Snow, J.C. (2018). Graspable objects grab attention more than images do. Psychological Science, 29(2), 206-218. PMID: 29215960.

 Snow, J.C., Pettypiece, C.E., McAdam, T.D., McLean, A.D., Stroman, P.W., Goodale, M.A. & Culham, J.C. (2011). Bringing the real world into the fMRI scanner: Repetition effects for pictures versus real objects. Scientific Reports, 1(130), doi: 10.1038/srep00130. PMID: 22355647.

 

  1. Techniques and apparatus for naturalistic vision research

 Gomez, M.A., Snow, J.C. (2023). How to construct liquid-crystal spectacles to control vision of real-world objects and environments. Behavior Research Methods. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13428-023-02059-8. PMID: 36737581.

Romero, C.A. and Snow, J.C. (2019). Methods for presenting real-world objects under controlled laboratory conditions. Journal of Visualized Experiments, (148), e59762, doi:10.3791/59762. PMID: 31282889.

 Snow, J.C., Pettypiece, C.E., McAdam, T.D., McLean, A.D., Stroman, P.W., Goodale, M.A. & Culham, J.C. (2011). Bringing the real world into the fMRI scanner: Repetition effects for pictures versus real objects. Scientific Reports, 1(130), doi: 10.1038/srep00130. PMID: 22355647.

 

  1. Parietal contributions to shape perception

Freud, E., Behrmann, M., and Snow, J.C. (2020). What does dorsal cortex contribute to perception? Open Mind: Discoveries in Cognitive Science. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/opmi_a_00033. PMID: 33225195.

Holler, D., Behrmann, M., and Snow, J.C. (2019). Real-world size coding of solid objects, but not 2-D or 3-D images, in visual agnosia patients with bilateral ventral lesions. Cortex, 119: 555-568. doi.org/10.1016/j.cortex.2019.02.030. PMID: 30987739.

Marini, F., Breeding, K.A., and Snow, J.C. (2019). Distinct visuo-motor brain dynamics for real-world objects versus planar images. NeuroImage, 195: 232-242. doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.02.026. PMID: 30776529.

Erlikhman, G., Caplovitz, G.P., Gurariy, G, Medina, J. and Snow, J.C. (2018). Towards a unified perspective of object shape and motion processing in human dorsal cortex. Consciousness and Cognition, 64: 106-120. doi: 10.1016/j.concog.2018.04.016. PMID: 29779844.

  1. Perceiving shape, weight, and surface texture in vision and touch

Buckingham, G., Holler, D., Michelakakis, E.E., & Snow, J.C. (2018). Preserved object weight processing after bilateral LOC lesions. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 30(11): 1683-1690. doi: 10.1162/jocn_a_01314. Epub 2018 Jul 19. PMID: 30024326.

Snow, J.C., Goodale, M.G., & Culham, J.C. (2015). Preserved haptic shape processing after bilateral LOC lesions. Journal of Neuroscience. 35(40), 13745-60. PMID: 26446226.

Snow, J.C., Strother, L., & Humphreys, G.W. (2014). Haptic shape representation in visual cortex. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, 26(5): 1154-67. doi: 10.1162/jocn_a_00548. PMID: 24345179.

Podrebarac, S., Goodale, M.A., & Snow J.C. (2014). Are visual texture-selective areas recruited during haptic texture discrimination? Neuroimage, 94: 129-37. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.03.013. PMID: 24650604.

  1. Attentional selection and distractor filtering

Skiba, R.M., and Snow, J.C. Attentional capture for tool images is driven by the head end of the tool, not the handle. Attention, Perception and Psychophysics (2016). doi: 0.3758/s13414-016-1179-3. PMID: 27473377.

Snow, J.C., Miranda, R.R. & Humphreys, G.W. (2013). Impaired visual sensitivity within the ipsilesional hemifield following unilateral parietal damage. Cortex, 49, 158-171. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2011.07.005. PMID: 21889133.

 Snow, J.C., Allen, H.A., Rafal, R.D., & Humphreys, G.W. (2009). Impaired attentional selection following lesions to human pulvinar: Evidence for homology between human and monkey. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA, 106 (10), 4054 – 4059. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0810086106. PMID: 19237580.

 Snow, J.C., & Mattingley, J.B. (2006). Goal-driven selective attention in patients with right hemisphere lesions: How intact is the ipsilesional field? Brain, 129, 168-181. doi: 10.1093/brain/awh690. PMID: 16317021.

Last Updated: 8/21/25