Daniel D. Dilks

Graduate student

Department of Cognitive Science
Johns Hopkins University
Krieger Hall, 3400 North Charles Street
Baltimore MD 21218, USA

Email:dilks@cogsci.jhu.edu
Office:Krieger 239
Office telephone:(410) 516-7625
Lab telephone:(410) 516-4087

Research Area

Cognitive neuropsychology, Perceptual consequences of visual cortical reorganization, Spatial representation

Research Interests

My research focus is twofold. First, I am interested in the perceptual consequences of visual cortical reorganization. A number of studies conducted in a variety of mammalian species, including humans, have shown that the adult visual cortex reorganizes following loss of sensory inputs (e.g., retinal lesions). However, work investigating how these changes may affect perception is extremely scarce. My research addresses this issue, using behavioral meaurements and fMRI, in patients with peripheral loss of input (e.g., damage to optic radiations, macular degeneration), but intact primary visual cortex. In addition, I am beginning to investigate the perceptual consequences of short-term visual cortical reorganization in normal human participants using an artificial scotoma paradigm. By examining the behavioral and phenomenological consequences of sensory cortical deprivation, we can begin to examine if cortical reorganization leads to systematic changes in the perception of visual stimuli.

Second, I am interested in issues of mental representation and computation in the area of spatial cognition. In particular, what is the nature of our representations of orientation? My research addresses this question using two populations: (1) children and adults with a genetic disorder (i.e., Williams syndrome) and (2) children and adults with acquired brain damage. I study spatial deficits with the aim of gaining insight into normal spatial representations and processes, and how they develop.

My primary advisor is Professor Michael McCloskey .

My secondary advisor is Professor Barbara Landau

Education

M.A., 2002: Cognitive Science, Johns Hopkins University
Master's Thesis: Selective impairment of dorsal stream function in children with Williams syndrome.

Oxford Summer School on Connectionist Modelling, Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford University, 2001
Post Baccalaureate, 1999: Cognitive Psychology, University of Pennsylvania
B.S., 1989: Market Research & Statistics, Rutgers University

Publications and Manuscripts

Dilks, D.D., Landau, B., & Hoffman, J.E. (submitted). Vision for perception and vision for action: Normal and unusual development.

Dilks, D.D. & McCloskey, M. (in preparation). Perceptual consequences of visual cortical reorganization: Evidence from an adult stroke patient.

Dilks, D. & Whalen, J. (in preparation). How do we solve multiplication problems? The veridicality of self-reports.
Landau, B., Hoffman, J.E., Reiss, J.E., Dilks, D.D., Lakusta, L., & Chunyo, G. (2004). Specialization, breakdown, and sparing in spatial cognition: Lessons from Williams syndrome. In C. Morris, H. Lenhoff, & P. Wang (Eds.), Williams-Beuren Sydrome: Research and clinical perspectives . Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press.
Dalton, P., Cowart, B., Dilks, D., Gould, M., Lees, P.S.J., Stefaniak, A., & Emmett, E. (2003). Olfactory function in workers exposed to styrene in the reinforced-plastic industry. American Journal of Industrial Medicine , 44, 1-11.
Dalton, P., Dilks D., & Banton, M. (2000). Evaluation of odor and sensory irritation thresholds for methyl iso-butyl ketone (MIBK) in humans. American Industrial Hygiene Association Journal, 61, 340-350.

Dilks, D., Dalton, P. & Beauchamp, G.K. (1999). Cross-cultural variation in responses to malodors. Chemical Senses, 24, 151.

Dalton, P., Hummel, T. & Dilks, D. (1999). Effects of long term exposure to trigeminal irritants. Chemical Senses, 24, 345.

Dalton, P. & Dilks, D. (October 1998). Annoyance and health symptoms in a residential community exposed to industrial odors. Technical report submitted to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection. (Unpublished manuscript).
Dalton, P. & Dilks, D. (1997). Effects of personality states on response to olfactory stimuli. Eastern Psychological Association Proceedings. 69:35.

Paper and Poster Presentations

Dilks, D.D., McCloskey, M., Serences, J., & Yantis, S. (2004). The "El Greco" effect: Perceptual distortion from visual cortical reorganization. Paper to be presented at Psychonomics, Minneapolis, MN.

Dilks, D.D., Reiss, J.E., Landau, B., & Hoffman, J.E. (2004). Representation of orientation in Williams syndrome. Poster to be presented at Psychonomics, Minneapolis, MN.

Dilks, D.D., Landau, B., Hoffman, J.E., & Oberg, P. (2003). Vision for action vs. perception in Williams syndrome: Evidence for developmental delay in the dorsal stream. Poster presented at Cognitive Neuroscience, New York, NY.
McCloskey, M., Dilks, D.D., & Hillis, A. (2003). Visual size and distance representations: Evidence from a perceptual deficit. Poster presented at Cognitive Neuroscience, New York, NY.
Dilks, D., Landau, B., Hoffman, J. & Siegfried, J. (2001). Selective impairment of dorsal stream function in children with Williams Syndrome. Poster presented at Cognitive Neuroscience, New York, NY.
Whalen, J. & Dilks, D. (2001). How do we solve multiplication problems? The veridicality of self-reports using ERP. Poster presented at Cognitive Neuroscience, New York, NY.
Dalton, P., Hummel, T. & Dilks, D. (1999). Effects of long term exposure to trigeminal irritants. Poster presented at the American Chemical Senses Association, Sarasota, FLA.
Dilks, D., Dalton, P. & Beauchamp, G.K. (1999). Cross-cultural variation in responses to malodors. Poster presented at the American Chemical Senses Association, Sarasota, FLA.
Dalton, P. & Dilks, D. (1997). Effects of personality states on response to olfactory stimuli. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association , Boston, MA.

Conferences Attended

IGERT Workshop: Integrative Explanations in the Cognitive Science of Language, 2004
Cognitive Neuroscience Society Eleventh Annual Meeting, 2004
JHU Conference on Spatial Language and Spatial Cognition, 2003
Psychonomics 44th Annual Meeting, 2003
Vision Sciences Society Third Annual Meeting, 2003
Cognitive Neuroscience Society Tenth Annual Meeting, 2003
Psychonomics 43rd Annual Meeting, 2002
Cognitive Neuroscience Society Ninth Annual Meeting, 2002
Psychonomics 42nd Annual Meeting, 2001
Cognitive Neuroscience Society Eigth Annual Meeting, 2001
31st Carnegie Symposium on Cognition
Perceptual Organization in Vision: Behavioral and Neural Perspectives, 2000

Professional Affiliations

American Psychological Association
Cognitive Neuroscience Society
Vision Sciences Society

Graduate Coursework Completed

Foundations of Cognitive Science B (Smolensky) - Spring '04
IGERT Reading Seminar - Spring '04
Research Seminar - Neuropsychology (McCloskey) - Spring '04
Research Seminar - Language & Cognition (Landau) - Spring '04
Programming Tools: Visual Basic (Hoffman) - Fall '03
Research Seminar - Neuropsychology (McCloskey) - Fall '03
Research Seminar - Language & Cognition (Landau) - Fall '03
IGERT Reading Seminar - Spring '03
Vision & Brain (Yantis) - Spring '03
Research Seminar - Neuropsychology (McCloskey) - Spring '03
Research Seminar - Language & Cognition (Landau) - Spring '03
Syntax (Legendre) - Fall '02
Foundations of Cognitive Science A (Smolensky) - Fall '02
Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience (Landau) - Spring '02
Formal Methods: Neural Networks (Smolensky) - Spring '02
IGERT Reading Seminar - Spring '02
Research Seminar - Neuropsychology (McCloskey) - Spring '02
Research Seminar - Language & Cognition (Landau) - Spring '02
Sound Structure in Natural Language (Burzio) - Fall '01
Formal Methods: Language (Frank) - Fall '01
Topics in Cognitive Neuropsychology: Consciousness (McCloskey) - Fall '01
Research Seminar - Language & Cognition (Landau) - Fall '01

Teaching Assistantships

Cognitive Neuropsychology of Visual Perception (McCloskey) - Spring '04 & Spring '02
Advanced Topics in Neuropsychology (McCloskey) - Spring '03
Introduction to Cognitive Neuropsychology (McCloskey) - Fall '03 & Fall '02

Daniel D. Dilks dilks@cogsci.jhu.edu