About
Dr Edwin Burns is a psychologist who studies vision in neurotypical, neuropsychological, and neurodevelopmental populations. Much of his research has focused on prosopagnosia, a condition in which people have severe troubles recognising faces. Dr Burns is also interested in the metascience of neurodevelopmental and neuropsychological research, specifically how diagnostic approaches impact scientific knowledge, patients’ wellbeing, and how we can counteract issues surrounding missed diagnoses.
Dr Burns also conducts parallel work into how we perceive faces in social contexts. For example, do people appear more attractive or trustworthy when surrounded by friends? Such contexts can lead to a phenomenon known as a ‘cheerleader’ or ‘friend’ effect, where the presence of others can alter our appearances. Edwin’s work examines how we can apply these principles to real world settings.