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Associate Professor Jess Taubert
Associate Professor

Jess Taubert

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Overview

Background

Associate Professor Jess Taubert was awarded the ARC Future Fellowship and moved to the University of Queensland in 2021. She is now a UQ Amplify Principal Research Fellow and the director of the BRISbrain lab, which focuses on understanding the neural and cognitive basis of social intelligence and face perception in humans and other animals.

She completed a Bachelor of Science Degree with Honours at Macaquarie University (2005) and a PhD in Psychology at the University of Sydney (2009) where she trained in psychophysics and cognitive science. In 2009 she accepted a postdoctoral position as a comparative psychologist at Emory University (GA, USA). Here she worked jointly with Lisa Parr at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center and Philippe Rochat in the Department of Psychology. In 2011 A/Prof Taubert was awarded a FSR incoming postdoctoral fellowship by UCLouvain and moved to Belgium to train as a neurophysiologist (supervised by Rufin Vogels, Wim Vanduffel, and Bruno Rossion). After briefly returning to Australia, A/Prof Taubert was appointed as an Intramural Research Fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health in the US (2016 – 2021). During this time she worked with Leslie Ungerleider, Chris Baker, David Leopold, and Elisabeth ("Betsy") Murray among others and she mastered neuroimaging techniques including task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Availability

Associate Professor Jess Taubert is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Sydney

Research interests

  • Social intelligence in primates and other animals

  • Face detection and the face pareidolia illusion

  • Organisation and function of the ventral visual cortex

  • The recognition of social signals in everyday life

Works

Search Professor Jess Taubert’s works on UQ eSpace

85 works between 2007 and 2025

41 - 60 of 85 works

2021

Journal Article

A shared mechanism for facial expression in human faces and face pareidolia

Alais, David, Xu, Yiben, Wardle, Susan G. and Taubert, Jessica (2021). A shared mechanism for facial expression in human faces and face pareidolia. Proceedings. Biological sciences, 288 (1954) 20210966. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0966

A shared mechanism for facial expression in human faces and face pareidolia

2021

Journal Article

A visual search advantage for illusory faces in objects

Keys, Robert T, Taubert, Jessica and Wardle, Susan G (2021). A visual search advantage for illusory faces in objects. Attention, Perception and Psychophysics, 83 (5), 1942-1953. doi: 10.3758/s13414-021-02267-4

A visual search advantage for illusory faces in objects

2021

Journal Article

Using FACS to trace the neural specializations underlying the recognition of facial expressions: a commentary on Waller et al. (2020)

Taubert, Jessica and Japee, Shruti (2021). Using FACS to trace the neural specializations underlying the recognition of facial expressions: a commentary on Waller et al. (2020). Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 120, 75-77. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.10.016

Using FACS to trace the neural specializations underlying the recognition of facial expressions: a commentary on Waller et al. (2020)

2020

Journal Article

What does a "face cell" want?'

Taubert, Jessica, Wardle, Susan G and Ungerleider, Leslie G (2020). What does a "face cell" want?'. Progress in Neurobiology, 195 101880, 101880. doi: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2020.101880

What does a "face cell" want?'

2020

Journal Article

Parallel processing of facial expression and head orientation in the macaque brain

Taubert, Jessica, Japee, Shruti, Murphy, Aidan P, Tardiff, Clarissa T, Koele, Elissa A, Kumar, Susheel, Leopold, David A and Ungerleider, Leslie G (2020). Parallel processing of facial expression and head orientation in the macaque brain. The Journal of Neuroscience, 40 (42), 8119-8131. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0524-20.2020

Parallel processing of facial expression and head orientation in the macaque brain

2019

Journal Article

Intranasal oxytocin selectively modulates the behavior of rhesus monkeys in an expression matching task

Taubert, Jessica, Flessert, Molly, Liu, Ning and Ungerleider, Leslie G (2019). Intranasal oxytocin selectively modulates the behavior of rhesus monkeys in an expression matching task. Scientific Reports, 9 (1) 15187, 15187. doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-51422-3

Intranasal oxytocin selectively modulates the behavior of rhesus monkeys in an expression matching task

2019

Journal Article

What can we learn about human individual face recognition from experimental studies in monkeys?

Rossion, Bruno and Taubert, Jessica (2019). What can we learn about human individual face recognition from experimental studies in monkeys?. Vision Research, 157, 142-158. doi: 10.1016/j.visres.2018.03.012

What can we learn about human individual face recognition from experimental studies in monkeys?

2018

Journal Article

Amygdala lesions eliminate viewing preferences for faces in rhesus monkeys

Taubert, Jessica, Flessert, Molly, Wardle, Susan G, Basile, Benjamin M, Murphy, Aidan P, Murray, Elisabeth A and Ungerleider, Leslie G (2018). Amygdala lesions eliminate viewing preferences for faces in rhesus monkeys. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115 (31), 8043-8048. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1807245115

Amygdala lesions eliminate viewing preferences for faces in rhesus monkeys

2018

Journal Article

The impact of stimulus size and orientation on individual face coding in monkey face-selective cortex

Taubert, Jessica, Van Belle, Goedele, Vogels, Rufin and Rossion, Bruno (2018). The impact of stimulus size and orientation on individual face coding in monkey face-selective cortex. Scientific Reports, 8 (1) 10339, 10339. doi: 10.1038/s41598-018-28144-z

The impact of stimulus size and orientation on individual face coding in monkey face-selective cortex

2017

Journal Article

Can training improve eyewitness identification? The effect of internal feature focus on memory for faces

Paterson, Helen M., Luppino, Daniella, Calderwood, Clare, MacDougall, Hamish G., Taubert, Jessica and Kemp, Richard I. (2017). Can training improve eyewitness identification? The effect of internal feature focus on memory for faces. Psychology, Crime and Law, 23 (10), 927-945. doi: 10.1080/1068316X.2017.1346099

Can training improve eyewitness identification? The effect of internal feature focus on memory for faces

2017

Journal Article

Commentary: The code for facial identity in the primate brain

Rossion, Bruno and Taubert, Jessica (2017). Commentary: The code for facial identity in the primate brain. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 11 550. doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00550

Commentary: The code for facial identity in the primate brain

2017

Conference Publication

Evidence for face pareidolia in rhesus monkeys

Taubert, Jessica, Wardle, Susan, Flessert, Molly, Leopold, David and Ungerleider, Leslie (2017). Evidence for face pareidolia in rhesus monkeys. Vision Sciences Society Annual Meeting 2017, St. Pete Beach, FL United States, 19-24 May 2017. Rockville, MD United States: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. doi: 10.1167/17.10.845

Evidence for face pareidolia in rhesus monkeys

2017

Conference Publication

Decoding face pareidolia in the human brain with fMRI

Wardle, Susan, Seymour, Kiley and Taubert, Jessica (2017). Decoding face pareidolia in the human brain with fMRI. Vision Sciences Society Annual Meeting 2017, St. Pete Beach, FL United States, 19-24 May 2017. Rockville, MD United States: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. doi: 10.1167/17.10.294

Decoding face pareidolia in the human brain with fMRI

2017

Conference Publication

Rhesus monkeys are able to discriminate facial identity and expression

Flessert, Molly, Taubert, Jessica, Liu, Ning and Ungerleider, Leslie (2017). Rhesus monkeys are able to discriminate facial identity and expression. Vision Sciences Society Annual Meeting 2017, St. Pete Beach, FL United States, 19-24 May 2017. Rockville, MD United States: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology. doi: 10.1167/17.10.1006

Rhesus monkeys are able to discriminate facial identity and expression

2017

Journal Article

Face pareidolia in the rhesus monkey

Taubert, Jessica, Wardle, Susan G, Flessert, Molly, Leopold, David A and Ungerleider, Leslie G (2017). Face pareidolia in the rhesus monkey. Current Biology, 27 (16), 2505-2509.e2. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.06.075

Face pareidolia in the rhesus monkey

2017

Journal Article

Face familiarity promotes stable identity recognition: exploring face perception using serial dependence

Kok, Rebecca, Taubert, Jessica, Van der Burg, Erik, Rhodes, Gillian and Alais, David (2017). Face familiarity promotes stable identity recognition: exploring face perception using serial dependence. Royal Society Open Science, 4 (3) 160685, 160685. doi: 10.1098/rsos.160685

Face familiarity promotes stable identity recognition: exploring face perception using serial dependence

2017

Journal Article

Who is the usual suspect? Evidence of a selection bias toward faces that make direct eye contact in a lineup task

Taubert, Jessica, van Golde, Celine and Verstraten, Frans A. J. (2017). Who is the usual suspect? Evidence of a selection bias toward faces that make direct eye contact in a lineup task. i-Perception, 8 (1). doi: 10.1177/2041669517690411

Who is the usual suspect? Evidence of a selection bias toward faces that make direct eye contact in a lineup task

2016

Journal Article

Effective connectivity reveals largely independent parallel networks of face and body patches

Premereur, Elsie, Taubert, Jessica, Janssen, Peter, Vogels, Rufin and Vanduffel, Wim (2016). Effective connectivity reveals largely independent parallel networks of face and body patches. Current Biology, 26 (24), 3269-3279. doi: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.09.059

Effective connectivity reveals largely independent parallel networks of face and body patches

2016

Journal Article

Robust representations of individual faces in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) but not monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

Taubert, Jessica, Weldon, Kimberly B. and Parr, Lisa A. (2016). Robust representations of individual faces in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) but not monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Animal Cognition, 20 (2), 321-329. doi: 10.1007/s10071-016-1054-6

Robust representations of individual faces in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) but not monkeys (Macaca mulatta)

2016

Journal Article

Faces in context: does face perception depend on the orientation of the visual scene?

Taubert, Jessica, van Golde, Celine and Verstraten, Frans A. J. (2016). Faces in context: does face perception depend on the orientation of the visual scene?. Perception, 45 (10), 1184-1192. doi: 10.1177/0301006616656866

Faces in context: does face perception depend on the orientation of the visual scene?

Funding

Current funding

  • 2025 - 2026
    UQ AWARE - Jessica Fagerholm
    UQ Amplify Women's Academic Research Equity
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2026
    Understanding the neural basis of gaze behaviour in the human brain.
    ARC Future Fellowships
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2023 - 2025
    The neural plasticity of gaze following in children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).
    Brain and Behavior Research Foundation
    Open grant

Supervision

Availability

Associate Professor Jess Taubert is:
Available for supervision

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Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Neural Encoding of Naturalistic Faces for Social Perception

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Amanda Robinson, Dr Blake Saurels

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Identifying the neural basis of visual hallucinations in age-related macular degeneration: Towards a novel therapeutic intervention for Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS)

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Jason Mattingley, Dr Amanda Robinson

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Attraction vs suppression. Comparing EEG and eye-tracking to disentangle the mechanisms of attention.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Amanda Robinson

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Social and Contextual Determinants of Pain Recognition

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Blake Saurels

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The role of breathing in human social intelligence.

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Amanda Robinson, Professor Julie Henry

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Investigating the Relationship Between Prediction and Attention in Response to Emotional Stimuli in the Human Brain

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Margaret Moore, Professor Derek Arnold

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Robots as Social Groups: A Social Neuroscience Approach

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Eric Vanman

  • Master Philosophy

    The impact of complex trauma on brain structure and function: implications for the development of complex PTSD

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Viktor Vegh, Dr Lena Oestreich

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Aphantasia: Predicting the intensity of imagined sensory experiences from measures of brain activity

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Professor Derek Arnold

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Persistence of Statistical Learning and Its Variation Across Individuals

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Amanda Robinson

Completed supervision

Media

Enquiries

Contact Associate Professor Jess Taubert directly for media enquiries about:

  • face pareidolia
  • face perception
  • neuroscience
  • online dating
  • social cognition
  • vision

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au