dr. F. Yildirim (Funda)

I am a researcher with a background in computational neuroscience and visual perception. Before forming the Computational Neuroscience and Visual Perception laboratory, I conducted research on various aspects of human visual perception, including faces, symmetry, depth, motion, and visual crowding. In my work, I have used a wide range of methods, including behavioral testing, eye-tracking, VR, fMRI, EEG, and MEG, which has given me insight into the strengths and limitations of different imaging techniques and response types in different sensory tasks.

I received my PhD in Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences from the University of Groningen and worked as a post-doctoral researcher in the Boston University Biomedical Engineering Department in collaboration with the Martinos Imaging Center at MIT. I hold a B.S. in Computer Engineering from Bilkent University and an M.S. in Cognitive Science from the Informatics Institute at the Middle East Technical University. Currently, I am an Assistant Professor at the University of Twente.

Expertise

• Neuroscience

  • Perception
  • Receptive Field
  • Epilepsy
  • Recognition

• Psychology

  • Saccade
  • Attention
  • Eye Movement

• Social Sciences

  • Identity

Organisations

As a researcher, my passion is to use technology to make acquiring new skills – whether they be motor, cognitive, or social – more accessible to everyone. My research efforts have the potential to redefine the way we approach learning and skill acquisition, from learning a new language, to operating a machine, to overcoming trauma. Through virtual reality training and brain-computer interfaces, I am developing systems that can provide personalized feedback and support for learners of all ages and abilities.

I believe that interdisciplinary research is key to making progress in this field, and I am committed to bringing together expertise from engineering, psychology, and education sciences to identify and overcome the challenges of educational activities. With a focus on universal accessibility and inclusivity, my goal is to make a meaningful impact on the way we learn and grow as individuals.

Publications

Other contributions

Senguler B, Ozilgen S, Yildirim F. Culinary Cognition: The Interplay Between Visual Sensory Cues, Food Memory, And Food Perception. ChemRxiv. 2024; doi:10.26434/chemrxiv-2024-h5x3d

Malak, C., & Yildirim, F. (2022, November 16). Masking Emotions: How Does Perceived Gaze Direction Affect Emotion Recognition in Masked Faces? – An Eye-Tracking Study. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/3fd5h

Yorgancıgil, E., Yildirim, F., Urgen, B. A., & Erdogan, S.B (2022) An Exploratory Analysis of the Neural Correlates of Human-Robot Interactions with functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2022.883905/full).

Rijnders, B., Korkmaz, E.E. & Yıldırım, F. (2022). CNN for a Connectivity Based Epilepsy Diagnosis with Resting-state EEG. Medical and Biological Engineering and Computing, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11517-022-02560-w

Katircilar, D., Yildirim., F. (2022) Harmonicity of Sound Alters Roughness Perception. (Under Review, Preprint available https://psyarxiv.com/qb523/).

Yorgancıgil, E., Urgen, B. A., & Yildirim, F. (2021). Uncanny Valley Effect is Amplified with Multimodal Stimuli and Varies Across Ages. (Under Review, Preprint available https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/dtvjp).

Senguler, B., Ozilgen, S. & Yildirim, F. (2021) How Food Cognition Affects Evaluation Behavior: A functional Food Development Study (Submitted).

Turk, D.D. & Yildirim, F. (2022) Attention towards Facial Regions Varies between Emotion Types but not between Attachment Styles (Under Review, Preprint available https://psyarxiv.com/268vw/).

Canatan, N., Demircan A., Yildirim, F., Sener S. (2022) The False Memory
Effect Within and Across Languages and The Role of Instruction. (Submitted).

Research profiles

My teaching generally involves methological topics such as programming, virtual reality, cognitive neuroscience and sensors for behavioral science and design engineering students.

Affiliated study programs

Courses academic year 2024/2025

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.

Courses academic year 2023/2024

Finished projects

Investigation of Auditory Localization Performance Based on Multiple Sensory Modalities and Auditory Learning Types

This project examines the effects of visual, auditory and audio-visual exercise types on sound localization performance. Information from different senses is processed together in the human brain to form sensory perception. Combining information from one sensory modality with information from additional modalities can improve our perception and localization of a stimulus. Experiences in daily life are often formed by combining information from multiple modalities. This study seeks to evaluate how effective this combination is in improving sound localization skills.

The effect of temporal ordering and sound source in understanding the perception of sound events.

This study examines sound perception and processing mechanisms, and how temporal sequence and type of sound events affect our ability to identify them.

Address

Organisations