Staff profile

Grant Reviewer

ESRC; MRC; NWO; NSF; National Science Center Poland

Journal Reviewer

Experimental Brain Research •Journal of Motor Behavior • Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance • Consciousness and Cognition • Neuron •Journal of Neuroscience Methods • Human Brain Mapping • Cognition • Journal of the Royal Society ‘Interface’ • Proceedings of the Royal Society (Series B) • Visual Cognition • Frontiers in Integrative Physiology • PLoS One • Current Biology •Journal of Neurophysiology • Behavioral Brain Research • Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Science • European Journal of Neuroscience • Current Directions in Psychological Science • Acta Psychologica • Frontiers in Cognitive Science • IEE TBME

• sensory neuroplasticity; human echolocation, visual perception, auditory perception, blindness, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)

• 2016: Grant\t: ESRC (PI: M Nardini; Co-I: LT) (2016-2019) ‘Using Echolocation To Study The Development Of Cue Combination’ (£450k)
• 2014: Grant: British Council GII (2014-2016) ‘Seeing with Sound:Developing an Echolocation Device based on sensing principles derived from Human Users’ (total: £147,064; sub-award LT: £35,800)
• 2014: Grant: BBSRC (2015-2018) ‘Human echolocation: Basic mechanisms and neuroplasticity’ (£409,942)
• 2010: Grant: Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation Postdoctoral Fellowship (2008-2010), Project: Investigation of Neural Correlates of Visual-Spatial Representations (50,000 CA $)

Chapter in book

• Norman, L., & Thaler, L. (2017). Human Echolocation - Spatial Resolution and Signal Properties. In A. Balleri, H. Griffiths, & C. Baker (Eds.), Biologically-inspired radar and sonar : lessons from nature (209-227). Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET). https://doi.org/10.1049/sbra514e_ch10
• Schlicht, T., Vetter, P., Thaler, L., & Moss, C. (2013). Wahrnehmung. In A. Stephan, & S. Walter (Eds.), Handbuch Kognitionswissenschaft (472-487). J.B. Metzler

Journal Article

• Thaler, L., Di Gregorio, G., & Foresteire, D. (online). 6-hour Training in click-based echolocation changes practice in visual impairment professionals. Frontiers in Rehabilitation Sciences, 4, https://doi.org/10.3389/fresc.2023.1098624
• Norman, L., & Thaler, L. Sensory Expectations in Human echolocation: Timing, Intensity and Spectrum. Manuscript submitted for publication
• Norman, L., Hartley, T., & Thaler, L. (2024). Changes in primary visual and auditory cortex of blind and sighted adults following 10 weeks of click-based echolocation training. Cerebral Cortex, 34(6), Article bhae239. https://doi.org/10.1093/cercor/bhae239
• Thaler, L., Castillo-Serrano, J. G., Kish, D., & Norman, L. (2024). Effects of type of emission and masking sound, and their spatial correspondence, on blind and sighted people’s ability to echolocate. Neuropsychologia, 196, Article 108822. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2024.108822
• Norman, L. J., & Thaler, L. (2023). The occipital place area is recruited for echo-acoustically guided navigation in blind human echolocators. Journal of Neuroscience, 43(24), 4470-4486. https://doi.org/10.1523/jneurosci.1402-22.2023
• Negen, J., Bird, L., Slater, H., Thaler, L., & Nardini, M. (2023). Multisensory perception and decision-making with a new sensory skill. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 49(5), 600-622. https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0001114
• Thaler, L., Norman, L., De Vos, H., Kish, D., Antoniou, M., Baker, C., & Hornikx, M. (2022). Human Echolocators Have Better Localization Off Axis. Psychological Science, 33(7), 1143-1153. https://doi.org/10.1177/09567976211068070
• Thaler, L. (2022). Echolocation in people: Humans can learn how to use echolocation, aiding the mobility, independence and wellbeing for people who are partially sighted or blind. https://doi.org/10.36866/pn.126.20
• Thaler, L., & Norman, L. J. (2021). No effect of 10-week training in click-based echolocation on auditory localization in people who are blind. Experimental Brain Research, 239(12), 3625-3633. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-021-06230-5
• Norman, L. J., & Thaler, L. (2021). Perceptual constancy with a novel sensory skill. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 47(2), 269-281. https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000888
• Norman, L. J., Dodsworth, C., Foresteire, D., & Thaler, L. (2021). Human click-based echolocation: Effects of blindness and age, and real-life implications in a 10-week training program. PLoS ONE, 16(6), Article e0252330. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252330
• Castillo-Serrano, J., Norman, L., Foresteire, D., & Thaler, L. (2021). Increased emission intensity can compensate for the presence of noise in human click-based echolocation. Scientific Reports, 11(1), Article 1750. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-81220-9
• Dodsworth, C., Norman, L., & Thaler, L. (2020). Navigation and Perception of Spatial Layout in Virtual Echo-Acoustic Space. Cognition, 197, Article 104185. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104185
• Thaler, L., Zhang, X., Antoniou, M., Kish, D., & Cowie, D. (2020). The flexible Action System: Click-based Echolocation may replace certain visual Functionality for adaptive Walking. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 46(1), 21-35. https://doi.org/10.1037/xhp0000697
• Norman, L. J., & Thaler, L. (2020). Stimulus uncertainty affects perception in human echolocation: Timing, level, and spectrum. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 149(12), 2314-2331. https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000775
• Negen, J., Chere, B., Bird, L., Taylor, E., Roome, H., Keenaghan, S., Thaler, L., & Nardini, M. (2019). Sensory Cue Combination in Children Under 10 Years of Age. Cognition, 193, Article 104014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cognition.2019.104014
• Thaler, L., De Vos, H., Kish, D., Antoniou, M., Baker, C., & Hornikx, M. (2019). Human Click-Based Echolocation of Distance: Superfine Acuity and Dynamic Clicking Behaviour. Journal of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, 20(5), 499-510. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10162-019-00728-0
• Norman, L., & Thaler, L. (2019). Retinotopic-like maps of spatial sound in primary 'visual' cortex of blind human echolocators. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 286(1912), Article 20191910. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2019.1910
• Arcaro, M. J., Thaler, L., Quinlan, D. J., Monaco, S., Khan, S., Valyear, K. F., Goebel, R., Dutton, G. N., Goodale, M. A., Kastner, S., & Culham, J. C. (2019). Psychophysical and neuroimaging responses to moving stimuli in a patient with the Riddoch phenomenon due to bilateral visual cortex lesions. Neuropsychologia, 128, 150-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2018.05.008
• Negen, J., Wen, L., Thaler, L., & Nardini, M. (2018). Bayes-Like Integration of a New Sensory Skill with Vision. Scientific Reports, 8, Article 16880. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-35046-7
• Yu, X., Thaler, L., Baker, C., Smith, G., & Zhao, L. (2018). Human echolocation: 2D shape discrimination using features extracted from acoustic echoes. Electronics Letters, 54(12), 785-787. https://doi.org/10.1049/el.2018.0680
• Norman, L., & Thaler, L. (2018). Human echolocation for target detection is more accurate with emissions containing higher spectral frequencies, and this is explained by echo intensity. i-Perception, 9(3), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1177/2041669518776984
• Thaler, L., De Vos, H., Kish, D., Antoniou, M., Baker, C., & Hornikx, M. (2018). Human Echolocators adjust loudness and number of clicks for detection of reflectors at various azimuth angles. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285(1873), Article 20172735. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.2735
• Thaler, L., Paciocco, J., Daley, M., Lesniak, G., Purcell, D., Fraser, J., Dutton, G., Rossit, S., Goodale, M., & Culham, J. (2018). A selective impairment of perception of sound motion direction in peripheral space: A case study. Neuropsychologia, 80, 79-89. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.11.008
• Thaler, L., & Foresteire, D. (2017). Visual sensory stimulation interferes with people’s ability to echolocate object size. Scientific Reports, 7, Article 13069. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-12967-3
• Thaler, L., Reich, G. M., Zhang, X., Wang, D., Smith, G. E., Tao, Z., Abdullah, R. S. A. B. R., Cherniakov, M., Baker, C. J., Kish, D., & Antoniou, M. (2017). Mouth-Clicks used by Blind Expert Human Echolocators – Signal Description and Model Based Signal Synthesis. PLoS Computational Biology, 13(8), Article e1005670. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005670
• Zhang, X., Reich, G., Antoniou, M., Cherniakov, M., Baker, C., Thaler, L., Kish, D., & Smith, G. (2017). Human echolocation: Waveform Analysis of Tongue Clicks. Electronics Letters, 53(9), 580-582. https://doi.org/10.1049/el.2017.0454
• Thaler, L., & Goodale, M. (2016). Echolocation in humans: an overview. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science, 7(6), 382-393. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcs.1408
• Thaler, L., & Castillo-Serrano, J. (2016). People's ability to detect objects using click-based echolocation: A direct comparison between mouth-clicks and clicks made by a loudspeaker. PLoS ONE, 11(5), Article e0154868. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0154868
• Thaler, L. (2015). Using Sound to Get Around - Discoveries in Human Echolocation
• Milne, J., Anello, M., Goodale, M., & Thaler, L. (2015). A blind human expert echolocator shows size constancy for objects perceived by echoes. Neurocase: The Neural Basis of Cognition, 21(4), 465-470. https://doi.org/10.1080/13554794.2014.922994
• Fiehler, K., Schütz, I., Meller, T., & Thaler, L. (2015). Neural Correlates of Human Echolocation of Path Direction During Walking. Multisensory Research, 28(1-2), 195-226. https://doi.org/10.1163/22134808-00002491
• Milne, J., Arnott, S., Kish, D., Goodale, M., & Thaler, L. (2015). Parahippocampal cortex is involved in material processing via echoes in blind echolocation experts. Vision Research, 109(Part B), 139-148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2014.07.004
• Milne, J., Goodale, M., & Thaler, L. (2014). The role of head movements in the discrimination of 2-D shape by blind echolocation experts. Attention, Perception, and Psychophysics, 76(6), 1828-1837. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13414-014-0695-2
• Thaler, L., Wilson, R. C., & Gee, B. K. (2014). Correlation between vividness of visual imagery and echolocation ability in sighted, echo-naïve people. Experimental Brain Research, 232(6), 1915-1925. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-014-3883-3
• Thaler, L., Milne, J., Arnott, S., Kish, D., & Goodale, M. (2014). Neural Correlates of Motion Processing through Echolocation, Source Hearing and Vision in Blind Echolocation Experts and Sighted Echolocation Novices. Journal of Neurophysiology, 111(1), 112-127. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00501.2013
• Thaler, L. (2013). Echolocation may have real-life advantages for blind people: an analysis of survey data. Frontiers in Physiology, 4, Article 98. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2013.00098
• Arnott, S., Thaler, L., Milne, J., Kish, D., & Goodale, M. (2013). Shape-specific activation of occipital cortex in an early blind echolocation expert. Neuropsychologia, 51(5), 938-949. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2013.01.024
• Thaler, L., Schütz, A. C., Goodale, M. A., & Gegenfurtner, K. R. (2013). What is the best fixation target? The effect of target shape on stability of fixational eye movements. Vision Research, 76, 31-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2012.10.012
• Thaler, L., & Goodale, M. (2011). Neural substrates of visual spatial coding and visual feedback control for hand movements in allocentric and target-directed tasks. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 5, Article 92. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2011.00092
• Thaler, L., Arnott, S., & Goodale, M. (2011). Neural correlates of natural human echolocation in early and late blind echolocation experts. PLoS ONE, 6(5), Article e20162. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0020162
• Gordon, G., Kaplan, D., Lankow, B., Little, D., Sherwin, J., Suter, B., & Thaler, L. (2011). Toward an integrated approach to perception and action: conference report and future directions. Frontiers in Systems Neuroscience, 5, Article 20. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnsys.2011.00020
• Thaler, L., & Goodale, M. (2011). The role of online visual feedback for the control of target-directed and allocentric hand movements. Journal of Neurophysiology, 105(2), 846-859. https://doi.org/10.1152/jn.00743.2010
• Thaler, L., & Goodale, M. (2011). Reaction times for allocentric movements are 35 ms slower than reaction times for target-directed movements. Experimental Brain Research, 211(2), https://doi.org/10.1007/s00221-011-2691-2
• Thaler, L., & Todd, J. (2010). Evidence from visuomotor adaptation for two partially independent visuomotor systems. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 36(4), 924-935. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0017603
• Thaler, L., & Goodale, M. (2010). Beyond distance and direction: the brain represents target locations non-metrically. Journal of Vision, 10(3), Article 3. https://doi.org/10.1167/10.3.3
• Todd, J., & Thaler, L. (2010). The perception of 3D shape from texture based on directional width gradients. Journal of Vision, 10(5), Article 17. https://doi.org/10.1167/10.5.17
• Thaler, L., & Todd, J. (2009). The control parameters used by the CNS to guide the hand depend on the visuo-motor task: evidence from visually guided pointing. Neuroscience, 159(2), 578-598. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroscience.2008.12.038
• Thaler, L., & Todd, J. (2009). The use of head/eye-centered, hand-centered and allocentric representations for visually guided hand movements and perceptual judgments. Neuropsychologia, 47(5), 1227-1244. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2008.12.039
• Thaler, L., Todd, J., & Dijkstra, T. (2007). The effects of phase on the perception of 3D shape from texture: psychophysics and modeling. Vision Research, 47(3), 411-427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2006.10.007
• Thaler, L., Todd, J., Spering, M., & Gegenfurtner, K. (2007). Illusory bending of a rigidly moving line segment: effects of image motion and smooth pursuit eye movements. Journal of Vision, 7(6), https://doi.org/10.1167/7.6.9
• Todd, J., Thaler, L., Dijkstra, T., Koenderink, J., & Kappers, A. (2007). The effects of viewing angle, camera angle, and sign of surface curvature on the perception of three-dimensional shape from texture. Journal of Vision, 7(12), https://doi.org/10.1167/7.12.9
• Todd, J., Thaler, L., & Dijkstra, T. (2005). The effects of field of view on the perception of 3D slant from texture. Vision Research, 45(12), 1501-1517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2005.01.003