Rate My Professor Bas Rokers

Bas Rokers is Professor of Psychology, Director of the Neuroimaging Center, and Director of the Center for Brain and Health at New York University Abu Dhabi, where he also holds the title of Global Network Professor of Psychology. Previously, he served as Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Rokers earned his BA from Utrecht University, MA from Rutgers University, and PhD from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has held visiting positions at Utrecht University in the Netherlands, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and New York University. His research uncovers the neural basis of visual perception, with an emphasis on motion and depth perception. By combining behavioral, neuroimaging, and computational approaches, he examines how the brain integrates binocular signals to determine object position and movement. This work aims to enhance understanding and treatment of cortical visual impairments, including amblyopia and motion blindness, and informs advancements in virtual and augmented reality technologies.

Rokers directs the Rokers Vision Laboratory at NYU Abu Dhabi, investigating visual processing in healthy and clinical populations. His publications include highly cited papers such as "Disparity- and velocity-based signals for three-dimensional motion perception in human MT+" (Nature Neuroscience, 2009; 145 citations), "Identifying causes of and solutions for cybersickness in immersive technology" (International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 2020; 326 citations), "Variations in visual sensitivity predict motion sickness in virtual reality" (Entertainment Computing, 2021; 84 citations), "Nonconscious emotional activation colors first impressions" (Psychological Science, 2014; 89 citations), and "White matter plasticity following cataract surgery in congenitally blind patients" (PNAS, 2023). Additional contributions feature studies on retinothalamic white matter abnormalities in amblyopia (Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 2018) and functional localization of visual motion area FST (2025). Rokers has advanced science education via the Wisconsin Virtual Brain Project and the National Geographic television series Brain Games. His research on motion sickness prediction and brain plasticity has been covered in ScienceDaily, Sky News, and other media.