Claudia Damiano

Research Associate

Bernhardt-Walther Lab, University of Toronto

Broadly, my research interests span a wide range of topics related to visual cognition. I am interested in understanding how the physical features of our natural world are processed by our brains to guide visual attention, influence memory, and impact aesthetic preferences and emotions.

I am currently a research associate in the BWLab at the University of Toronto working with Dirk Bernhardt-Walther. Previously, I worked with Johan Wagemans in the GestaltReVision Lab at KU Leuven in Belgium. My ongoing work examines the link between visual features and aesthetic pleasure of natural environments, using a combination of behavioural and computational techniques.

Bernhardt-Walther Lab

GestaltReVision Lab

Highlights

Awards

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship, 2021
FoVea Travel and Networking award, 2020
Council of Canadian Departments of Psychology TA award, 2019
NSERC PGS-D, 2017

Education

PhD 2019, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
MA 2015, Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
BA&Sc 2014, Department of Cognitive Science, McGill University

Selected Publications

Damiano, C. et al. (2023). Anger is red, sadness is blue: Emotion depictions in abstract visual art by artists and non-artists. Journal of Vision. PDF.
Damiano, C., Walther D.B., & Cunningham, W.A. (2021). Contour features predict valence and threat judgements in scenes. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 1-12. PDF.
Damiano, C., Wilder, J., Zhou, E.Y., Walther, D.B., and Wagemans, J. (2021). The role of local and global symmetry in pleasure, interest, and complexity judgements of natural scenes. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts. PDF.

Upcoming Events

June 1-3, 2026 Canadian Society for Brain, Behaviour and Cognitive Science (CSBBCS) annual meeting, York University, Toronto, Canada

May 15-19, 2026 Annual meeting of the Vision Sciences Society, St Pete Beach, USA

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