Evan Center

My research uses neuroimaging and behavioral techniques in combination with extended reality (XR) to understand the dynamics of our perceptual experiences. I received my PhD in cognitive neuroscience from the University of Illinois in 2020, where my thesis focused on the ways in which our expectations and prior experiences can affect our ongoing perception of the world in the moment. I then joined the Perception Engineering Lab where I leveraged the power of XR to bring new realism to old paradigms and address ongoing challenges, such as reducing cybersickness and increasing presence in virtual environments. In 2025, I joined the Hybrid Intelligence Program. Working within its multi-reality theme, I research the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into XR with a particular focus on how these integrations influence our perception and cognition, such that we may shape our reality in a way that maximally benefits individual users and society at large.