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VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN
NAME:PhD defence S.A. Sheikh Abdirashid
METHOD:PUBLISH
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART:20260413T134500
DTEND:20260413T151500
DTSTAMP:20260413T134500
UID:2026/phd-defence-s-a-sheikh-ab@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573
CREATED:20260416T120736
LOCATION:(1st floor) Auditorium, Main building De Boelelaan 1105 1081 HV Amsterdam
SUMMARY:PhD defence S.A. Sheikh Abdirashid
X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html: A light of our own
Attention acts as a brain’s own light source
Research by
cognitive neuroscientist Sumiya Sheikh Abdirashid shows that our att
ention does more than just “focus”: it actively changes how we se
e the world.
In daily life, our brains have to process an enorm
ous amount of visual information. Because we cannot take everything i
n at once, attention helps us choose what is important. However, exac
tly how this works in the brain was not yet fully understood.
<
strong>Zoom lens
Sheikh Abdirashid’s research shows tha
t attention functions as a kind of zoom lens. When we focus our atten
tion narrowly, visual information is processed more sharply and preci
sely than when we spread our attention widely. Moreover, this “zoom
function” turns out to work surprisingly independently: visual pro
perties such as contrast have no influence on what we see, as long as
we do not pay attention to them.
Only when an image catches ou
r attention do features such as contrast come into play. The strength
of this effect depends on several factors: whether the object falls
within our field of attention and whether it resembles something we a
re already focused on. Sheikh Abdirashid demonstrates that attention
not only selects but also actively shapes our perception. This has br
oad societal implications. Consider situations where rapid and accura
te visual processing is crucial, such as in traffic, healthcare, or s
ecurity professions. This insight can also help improve education, us
er interfaces, and treatments for attention disorders. The research c
ontributes to a better understanding of a fundamental process that ev
eryone uses daily: how we choose what we see – and how that determi
nes our reality.
More information on the thesis
DESCRIPTION: Attention acts as a brain’s own light source
R
esearch by cognitive neuroscientist Sumiya Sheikh Abdirashid shows th
at our attention does more than just “focus”: it actively changes
how we see the world. In daily life, our brains have to process an e
normous amount of visual information. Because we cannot take everythi
ng in at once, attention helps us choose what is important. However,
exactly how this works in the brain was not yet fully understood. Zoom lens
Sheikh Abdirashid’s research shows that
attention functions as a kind of zoom lens. When we focus our attenti
on narrowly, visual information is processed more sharply and precise
ly than when we spread our attention widely. Moreover, this “zoom f
unction” turns out to work surprisingly independently: visual prope
rties such as contrast have no influence on what we see, as long as w
e do not pay attention to them. Only when an image catches our attent
ion do features such as contrast come into play. The strength of this
effect depends on several factors: whether the object falls within o
ur field of attention and whether it resembles something we are alrea
dy focused on. Sheikh Abdirashid demonstrates that attention not only
selects but also actively shapes our perception. This has broad soci
etal implications. Consider situations where rapid and accurate visua
l processing is crucial, such as in traffic, healthcare, or security
professions. This insight can also help improve education, user inter
faces, and treatments for attention disorders. The research contribut
es to a better understanding of a fundamental process that everyone u
ses daily: how we choose what we see – and how that determines our
reality. More information on the thesis A light of our own
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