Research Interests: Neuroscience of Touch Perception;  Multi-modal Somatosensory Processing; Neural Plasticity in the Blind; Tactile Hallucinations; Embodied Cognition; Design Pedagogy & Behavioural Change

 

E-mail: leslee.lazar@iitgn.ac.in

In our everyday life, we rely on the brain’s somatosensory system to perceive different tactile events on the surface of our skin like shapes, textures, hardness, softness, curvatures, vibrations, temperature etc. I am interested in understanding the organization of the human tactile system and how it underlies our rich haptic experience. Specifically, I am interested in how higher-level processes like language, emotion, and body image interact with the low-level representations of external tactile stimuli. Also, no sensory system operates in isolation; our brain constantly uses signals from various sensory modalities to make sense of the world around us. I am keen to understand how the tactile system interacts with the visual, auditory, and proprioceptive senses.

Education:

  • Post Doctoral Fellowship: Harvard Medical School (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre), Boston, USA
  • PhD: Neuroscience, National Brain Research Centre, Manesar, India
  • MSc: University of Madras
  • BSc: Loyola College

 

Professional and Teaching Experience:

  • Assistant Teaching Professor – Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar (Dec 2019 to Present)
  • Visiting Faculty – Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Gandhinagar (Dec 2016 – Dec 2019)
  • Post-Doctoral Research Fellow – Harvard Medical School (BIDMC) (Jan 2014 – July 2015)
  • Research Associate – National Brain Research Centre, India (Aug 2013 – Jan 2014)

 

Selected Publications:

  • Lazar L, Chand P, Rajan R, Mohammed H, Jain N, Somatosensory cortex of macaque monkeys is designed for opposable thumb, Cerebral Cortex, 28 February 2022
  • Lazar. L. The Cognitive Neuroscience of Design Creativity. Journal of Experimental Neuroscience, Volume: 12 October 31, 2018.
  • Kambi N, Tandon S, Mohammed H, Lazar L, Jain N. Reorganization of the primary motor cortex of the adult macaque monkeys after sensory loss resulting from partial spinal cord injuries. J Neurosci. 2011 Mar 9; 31 (10):3696-3707
  • Tandon S, Kambi N, Lazar L, Mohammed H, Jain N. Large-scale expansion of the face representation in somatosensory areas of the lateral sulcus after spinal cord injuries in monkeys. J Neurosci. 2009 Sep 23; 29(38):12009-19

 

Courses Taught: 

  • CG 506 – Experimental Techniques in Cognitive Science
  • CG 605 – Learning and Memory

 

Lab Website: 

labs.iitgn.ac.in/taper/

 

Personal Website (My Art):

http://lesleelazar.com/