Elizabeth Chrastil

Research Interests

I study human path integration, spatial memory, and large-scale navigation in complex environments. I have conducted experiments using fully immersive virtual reality, fMRI, and EEG to understand how humans process self-motion information when navigating without landmarks. I am also interested in how proprioceptive input, vestibular information, decision-making, and attention contribute to learning different types of spatial knowledge. In addition to the differential contribution of these factors to spatial learning, I have found large individual differences in navigational abilities. My research examines the relationship between performance and brain function, looking at both brain structure and fMRI activation across individuals.