FriSem

Emily Kubota, first-year PhD student in Professor Kalanit Grill-Spector's Lab, Department of Psychology, Stanford University

Abstract: Ventral temporal cortex consists of category selective regions that fall in consistent anatomical locations across individuals and over development. This consistency has many to wonder about the organizing principle(s) of the ventral stream. While there have been functional hypotheses (foveal/peripheral bias, real-world size and curvature), the present study will investigate the relationship between the topography of the ventral stream and brain structure (cytoarchitecture and white matter tracts). Specifically, this talk will investigate whether white-matter tracts that connect to ventral category-selective regions are more organized by anatomy (cytoarchitecture) or domain (category selectivity) in children. At the end of the talk, I will introduce some new work examining whether the white matter tracts that connect to ventral category selective regions are consistent over development (between children and adults). These findings will provide insights into the organization of the white matter that connects to ventral category-selective regions in childhood, and its capacity to change over development.