As the starting goalkeeper on the GW men’s soccer team, rising senior Justin Grady never takes his eyes off the field. He’s continually scanning the action, alert for shots from attacking opponents while positioning his teammates and directing strategy through hand signals.
And as a research assistant in Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience Stephen Mitroff’s Visual Cognition lab, Grady, a psychology major, is testing how those same skills inform learning, attention and perception. His studies may have wide-ranging implications for professionals in fields like aviation security, medical imaging, the military and even sports.
“Being part of [Mitroff’s lab] has been a great opportunity to study something with tangible consequences,” Grady said. Mitroff “has been conducting work in the visual search field for a long time and I’m happy I can make a contribution.”