Personal profile
Biography
2011-current: Australian Research Council (ARC) Post-doctoral research fellow.
2011-2013: Lecturer, Research School of Psychology, the Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
2008-2010: Post-doctoral research fellow, McGill Vision Research Unit, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
2008: Graduated with a PhD from the University of Western Australia
2003: Graduated with a BA, Honours (Psychology) from the University of Western Australia.
Roles and responsibilities
First half of 2020: Deputy Director of Undergraduate Education
Funding overview
2020: Defence Science & Technology group (DSTG). 212k
2019: DSTG 1.4 million
2019: DSTG. 430k
2018: DSTG. 26k
2017: UWA central, ARC Near Miss Scheme. 20k
2013-2017: ARC LP grant “Attention and hazard perception while driving: How experts see the scene” >$300k
2011-2015: ARC Australian Post-doctoral Fellowship (APD) awarded. >$250k
Teaching overview
Sensory Perception
Cognitive Neuroscience
Research
i) Perception research
-My research considers how the human visual system processes shapes and objects for recognition. Recognition is accomplished through the coordinated activation of distinct brain regions. Projects seek to discover what information is represented at each stage of processing.
I am interested in:
-Studying the role of hemispheric specialization in the processing of symmetry.
-The time course of visual perception. How fast and for how long do discrete visual mechanisms process content?
-The properties of the mechanisms processing visual number
-Serial dependencies in visual perception. How and when is past information used in the processing of the present?
ii) Clinical research
Together with Associate Professors Elizabeth Rieger (ANU) and Sue Byrne (UWA) I am undertaking research to understand the relationship between biases in perception and or attention, and eating disorder symptomology, or obesity.
I am interested in studying abnormalities of perception within particular groups. Current research interests include:
-Attentional biases to high and low calorie foods or to particular body shapes.
-Biases in the perceived healthiness of foods, or in the perceived size of female bodies.
-Attentional retraining procedures to reduce or null maladaptive processing strategies in relation to the above visual cues.
Together with Associate Professor Carmela Pestell (UWA) I am conducting studies to better our understanding of the relationship between ADHD and altered time perception.
Current research interests include:
-Studies retraining timing abilities
-Studies examining the role of emotional regulation in ADHD symptomology and time perception
iii) Sensory neuroscience
Understanding functional specialization in the brain is a fundamental goal of Neuroscience and Psychology. My lab currently offers opportunities to study the effects neuro-synchronization and of non-invasive cortical stimulation on perception, and behaviour.
Current research projects and collaborations are utilising:
- neuroscience techniques such as transcranial direct current stimulation, or tDCS to investigate the correlates of attention and perception.
-Neuro-synchronization techniques to understand the role of rhythmic brain activity in various aspects of attention, perception and action, with a focus on theta and alpha bands.
Research expertise keywords
- Visual perception
- Sensory neuroscience
- Attention and cognition
- Cortical stimulation
- Eating disorders
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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Adaptable Automation Transparency: Should Humans Be Provided Flexibility to Self-Select Transparency Information?
Tatasciore, M., Bennett, L., Bowden, V. K., Bell, J., Visser, T. A. W., McAnally, K., McCarley, J. S., Thompson, M. B., Shanahan, C., Morris, R. & Loft, S., Jan 2026, In: Human Factors. 68, 1, p. 5-27 23 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus) -
Eye believe you: gaze direction affects the perceived believability of facial expressions displayed by computer-generated people
Haile, J., Palermo, R., Dawel, A., Krumhuber, E., Sutherland, C. & Bell, J., 27 Jan 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Cognition and Emotion. 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Integrating information from off-board sensors into the submarine control room: workload, situation awareness, and performance consequences
Loft, S., Howard, Z. L., Pond, S., Irons, J., Michailovs, S., Swe, D., Bell, J., Visser, T. A. W., Pinniger, G. & Schmitt, M., 2026, In: Ergonomics. 69, 3, p. 525-542 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus) -
Introducing the Naturalistic Expression Labeling Task (NELT): Associations with posed expression labeling, empathy, and general cognitive ability
Talipski, L. A., Palermo, R., Sutherland, C. A. M., Gignac, G. E., Jeffery, L., Crookes, K., Wilmer, J. B., Krumhuber, E. G., Bell, J. & Dawel, A., 13 Apr 2026, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Behavior Research Methods. 58, 5, 24 p., 116.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
Aligning visual imagery to the operator improves geospatial situation awareness in a single-display 360-degree periscope concept
Bell, J., Howard, Z., Pond, S., Visser, T., Fitzgerald, M., Schmitt, M., Loft, S. & Michailovs, S., 23 Jun 2025, In: Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications. 10, 1, 35.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access2 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)
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Reading facial expressions from real and virtual humans
Palermo, R. (Investigator 01), Dawel, A. (Investigator 02), Sutherland, C. (Investigator 03), Bell, J. (Investigator 04) & Krumhuber, E. (Investigator 05)
ARC Australian Research Council
1/07/22 → 30/06/27
Project: Research
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Submarine Command and Control Human-Automation Teaming
Loft, S. (Investigator 01), Visser, T. (Investigator 02) & Bell, J. (Investigator 03)
Defence Science and Technology Group
15/04/24 → 30/12/24
Project: Research
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Optimising the balance betewen high and low resolution fields of view in head-mounted display systems for the dismounted combatant
Visser, T. (Investigator 01), Bell, J. (Investigator 02), Bowden, V. (Investigator 03) & Badcock, D. (Investigator 04)
Defence Science and Technology Group
15/12/23 → 30/06/24
Project: Research
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Adapting the Transparency of Autonomous Systems to Optimise Human-Autonomy Teaming in Command and Control (C2) Settings
Loft, S. (Investigator 01), Bell, J. (Investigator 02), McAnally, K. (Investigator 03), McCarley, J. (Investigator 04) & Visser, T. (Investigator 05)
15/10/21 → 14/10/23
Project: Research
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Hybrid approaches to evaluating the effectiveness of battlefield displays and augmented-reality systems for the dismounted combatant
Visser, T. (Investigator 01), Badcock, D. (Investigator 02), Bell, J. (Investigator 03) & Bowden, V. (Investigator 04)
Defence Science and Technology Group
28/09/20 → 15/04/22
Project: Research
Prizes
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2017 Nominated by Psychological Science to compete in Faculty of Science Rising Stars Event
Bell, J. (Recipient), 2017
Prize: Award
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