APS Poster Acceptance

From: psychologicalscience@confex.com <psychologicalscience@confex.com>
Sent: Thursday, September 12, 2024 4:36 PM

To: Srinivasan, Hari <hari.srinivasan@vanderbilt.edu>
Subject: Your APS Submission Notification - Virtual Summit

Dear Hari,

Congratulations! I am pleased to inform you that your poster submission, "Navigating the Near: VR Investigations of Peripersonal Space in Autism", has been accepted for presentation at the 2024 APS Global Psychological Science Summit, October 23-24, 2024. 

VICB Research Poster

Research Poster Presentation at the VICB Symposium (Aug2)

https://medschool.vanderbilt.edu/vicb/2024-vicb-student-research-symposium/

organized by

 

Congratulations, Hari, from the entire Frist Center Family. We are excited to see the results of your research!

https://www.vanderbilt.edu/autismandinnovation/2024/07/11/nise-fellow-hari-srinivasan-wins-research-award/

FCAI Neurodiversity Inspired Science and Engineering Fellow Hari Srinivasan has been awarded the 2024 Autistic and Neurodivergent Scholars Working for Equity in Research (ANSWER) Scholars Program Award for his project “Navigating the Near: Virtual Reality Investigations of Peripersonal Space in Autism.” Srinivasan will receive a $10,000 award next academic year to work toward this research.

Hari’s continued outstanding achievements never fail to impress us! Congratulations, Hari, from the entire Frist Center Family. We are excited to see the results of your research!

Poster at CAN 2024

 Yeah, I have another Poster Acceptance for the College Autism Network Summit 2024 in Oct. 

================

From: College Autism Network
Sent: Tuesday, July 16, 2024 2:41 PM
To: Srinivasan, Hari
Subject: College Autism Summit Submission Accepted - Poster

Dear Poster Participant:

We are pleased to inform you that your College Autism Summit submission titled 'Navigating the Near: Virtual Reality Investigations of Peripersonal Space in Autism' has been accepted.

………..

Best,
Amy Radochonski and Cherie Fishbaugh, Program Co-Chairs

Research headed to SfN 2024

My research abstract accepted at Society for Neuroscience, SfN 2024 conference. 

Dear Hari Srinivasan

Thank you for submitting a Scientific Abstract for Neuroscience 2024 taking place Oct 5-9 in Chicago. 

-------

For more on my conference experience in Oct click on the link below

SfN: Society for Neurosience

Poster Presentation at IMRF

 

My research poster at IMRF Conference 2024, Reno, NV

I submitted an Abstract

Submitted my first Grad School abstract to 

SfN Society for Neuroscience Conference. 

How about that!!

 

Research time - Motion Tracking

 Checking out some new gadgets and tech being set up at our soon to be 'immersive VR cave" at our research lab. The optictrack glove has sensors on to track hand movements movements seen in the video when I moved my hand up and down. Will be using some of this cool tech in my research on Peri Personal Space. Still being set up so more to come.

Sensory Neuroscience Reseach

https://youtu.be/fSNAkNsV4hg

 

The Subtle Body

Last week I went for a talk by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in downtown Nashville.

And my mind immediately went flashbulb “PPS"  (Peripersonal Space is what I'm researching in grad school) when he spoke about "Subtle Body".

Three body states are discussed in the Upanishads and Bhagawad Gita.

1. physical body (sthula sharira)
2. subtle body (sukshma sharira)
3. causal body (karana sharira)

Physical body (the one we are familiar with, engages with the world through our senses and performs actions through our physical form in this lifetime etc…) is active during waking state.Subtle body is around 10-12 inches space outside of physical body. composed of thoughts and emotions (mind, intellect, ego, sensory and action faculties). Its size also changes expands /shrinks depending on perception and emotion eg: a happy/calm person has an expanded subtle body. For a person who is tending towards suicide/depression, the subtle body space becomes so small, that the physical body becomes so hard to hold onto to an extent that the prana (life force) cannot support the physical body anymore. Interestingly in certain yogic breath/meditative practices, you can expand/contract or even project your subtle body outwards away from the physical body.The subtle body is active during dream sleep as well. In the dream state the subtle body is even larger, that’s why we are able to experience all 5 senses because its manipulation of a bundle of energy.Real interesting parallels for me between PPS (empirical construct and measurable) v subtle body (spiritual/philosophical construct derived through introspection/meditation)

• both extend beyond the physical boundaries of the body.
• PPS is thought to integrate information from both the body and the environment to guide our actions, which bears resemblance to the subtle body’s role as the seat of consciousness and the sensorimotor faculties.
• Also idea that PPS can be modulated by our state of mind or emotions (expand when we’re happy and contract when we’re afraid) is similar to subtle body’s changeability.  (wonder if we can measure PPS in our dream state)

Some insights from Sri Sri’s talk quite humorous. Like, why do we only doubt the positive and never the negative. Eg: I love you. (Really?) I hate you. (Silence). Lol.

Related Posts on [PPS] [Peripersonal Space]

EEG Capping

 

EEG capping from a neuroimaging researcher perspective at the Vanderbilt EEG research lab 

(rather than as a half sedated patient in a hospital clinic).

Felt like a soggy swim cap. Not the most comfortable feeling but tolerable.

To clarify, in this photo I'm trying on the cap to see what it feels like as I will likely be using neuroimaging methods (EEG, fMRI etc) in my own research design and I will be studying issues in autism.

Psychiatry Symposium

 https://www.vumc.org/psychiatry/AcademicPsychiatry2023

Schedule

10:45-10:50am	Welcome and Introduction
10:50-11:50am	Oral Session #1
11:50am-12:00pm	Break
12:00-1:00pm	Collaboration Talks
1:00-1:10pm	Break
1:10-2:10pm	Poster Session
1:10-1:40pm	Group A
1:40-2:10pm	Group B
2:10-2:20pm	Break
2:20-3:20pm	Oral Session #2
3:20-3:25pm	Closing Remarks
3:25-4:00pm	Ice Cream Social

Peripersonal Space

Peripersonal space (PPS) is the region of space immediately surrounding the body, where sensory inputs from multiple modalities are integrated to guide actions and protect the body. In autism, alterations in PPS processing may contribute to challenges in sensory-motor integration, social interactions and spatial navigation. This area of research, which I am exploring in graduate school, holds promise for interventions at the individual level and disability accommodations at the societal level. Stay tuned for more in-depth posts on this topic.

PlainSpeak: Peripersonal space (PPS) is the space right around our bodies that helps us sense and respond to things nearby. For autistic individuals, differences in how this space is processed might explain some of the sensory and social challenges they face and how we navigate the space around us. I'm studying this in grad school and will be sharing more insights in upcoming posts.

Related Posts on [PPS] [Peripersonal Space]

Research Awe I am in total Awe

LOL!!

 

SPSS Poster Presentation

Got to present my very first Research Poster at the SPSS (Society for Personality and Social Psychology) conference today.  

Was an interesting experience. 

Haas Scholars Spring Colloquium

 Got the chance to present my to-date findings at the Haas Scholars Spring Colloquium. 

08:02:53 From Leah Carroll to Everyone:
Goooooooo Hari, you're a rockstar!
08:02:59 From Laura Rambo to Everyone:
You got this Hari!!
08:03:05 From Christian Nixon to Everyone:
go Hari!!
08:03:25 From Eunice Paredes(She/ Her/ Ella) to Everyone:
Go Hari!!!
08:10:33 From Kevin McCarthy to Everyone:
Good stuff
08:11:33 From Laura Rambo to Everyone:
Omg how exciting!!!
08:12:44 From Bob Haas to Everyone:
Hari: Great research. You are Berkeley at its best! So proud that you are a Haas Scholar.
08:14:06 From Eunice Paredes(She/ Her/ Ella) to Everyone:
Wow
08:14:45 From David Yaden to Everyone:
This is fascinating and impressive research. Well-done, Hari!
08:16:44 From Dacher Keltner to Everyone:
you are a brilliant and revolutionary scholar Hari. You inspire.. thank you Haas Fellowship program
08:16:45 From Tonatiuh Beltran to Everyone:
Very informative Hari! And the graphs are super helpful
08:17:43 From Kevin McCarthy to Everyone:
Fascinating, enlightening and helpful
08:17:47 From Kristen Gillespie-Lynch to Everyone:
Really thought provoking and rich findings! And I love how you set up how to interpret the findings beforehand.
08:18:30 From Kevin McCarthy to Everyone:
I would not have learned this otherwise. Thank you, Hari.
08:21:36 From Tonatiuh Beltran to Everyone:
Incredible work 👏🏽
08:22:14 From Laura Rambo to Everyone:
Hari this is incredible!! KNOCKED IT OUT OF THE PARK!
08:22:23 From Rungsiri Upradit to Everyone:
Amazing research!
08:22:34 From Patrick Dwyer (he/him) to Everyone:
Really cool research, Hari! I will look forward to seeing it print. I was particularly impressed that you measured SES and thought to include it as a covariate - so much literature doesn't distinguish effects of being autistic vs. the negative experiences and challenges that autistic people often experience, so it is great you did that. It's also awesome (pun not intended) to finally see some evidence of the hyper-empathy autistics have been talking about for a while. Thanks for this very informative and powerful presentation, Hari!
08:22:36 From Jae Manion (Pronounced Mann) to Everyone:
Per usual, Hari brought it all.
08:22:39 From Johnny Smith to Everyone:
Incredible, indeed! Bravo!!!
08:22:41 From Jonah Lounds (they/them) to Everyone:
Remarkable work Hari!
08:22:52 From Christian Nixon to Everyone:
absolutely outstanding!! amazing job, Hari!
08:22:55 From Steven Kapp to Everyone:
Excellent research Hari!
08:22:56 From Kevin McCarthy to Everyone:
Big facts!
08:22:57 From Bruce Carter to Everyone:
I am truly in AWE!
08:22:58 From Lawrence Fung to Everyone:
Amazing work, Hari!
08:23:03 From Jorge Mancillas to Everyone:
Great work, Hari!
08:23:04 From Tim Vogus to Everyone:
Hari, this work is outstanding. I love how many different explorations you took into the data. You really provide a holistic, nuanced, and rich view of awe. Truly exciting and opens up so many possibilities and new understandings.
08:23:06 From Hector Lopez-Orozco to Everyone:
You never fail to amaze me and be inspiring, Hari!
08:23:06 From Danielle Cosmes to Everyone:
We’re in awe of YOU!!
08:23:09 From Meg Evans to Everyone:
Fascinating work!
08:23:17 From Jennifer Ochoa to Everyone:
Wonderful job Hari!!
08:23:21 From Simran Kaur to Everyone:
Amazing Hari!!!!
08:23:27 From Seungwon Lee to Everyone:
So well organized and impactful!!! You’re AWEsome
08:23:34 From Leah Carroll to Everyone:
Hari you're making me cry.
08:23:37 From Laura Rambo to Everyone:
Same here
08:23:45 From Eunice Paredes(She/ Her/ Ella) to Everyone:
BRAVOOOOO!!!!!!!
08:23:46 From Kevin McCarthy to Everyone:
You have a bright future ahead of you, Hari
08:23:51 From Dacher Keltner to Everyone:
what a privilege to be your collaborator Hari. I am in awe
08:23:53 From Violet Henderson to Everyone:
Aware Hari
08:24:00 From Laura Rambo to Everyone:
We love you Hari!
08:24:04 From Violet Henderson to Everyone:
Awesome!!!
08:24:05 From karen nakamura to Everyone:
Incredible talk, thanks Hari
08:24:06 From Tonatiuh Beltran to Everyone:
❤️❤️❤️👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
08:24:09 From Matthew Vilnit to Everyone:
Does an individuals experience of awe change over time?
08:24:34 From Tyler Shores @University of Cambridge to Everyone:
What a wonderful presentation. Bravo Hari! Can't wait to see what you do in the future.
08:24:39 From Susan Daniels to Everyone:
Congratulations, Hari! Excellent work!
08:24:46 From Tory Benson to Everyone:
Amazing work Hari!! Can’t wait to follow the rest of your research :’)
08:24:57 From Mary Kelsey to Everyone:
Can you give an example of a “small dose of awe” that would be helpful to those with autism?
08:25:42 From karen nakamura to Everyone:
Question: Given that most autistics are raised by non-autistic parents who are not aware of the internal world of autistic and how best to connect with it, and the discrimination that autistics experience; if autistics were raised in a pro-autistic environment what findings do you think would change most in your study?
08:26:13 From Christine Mullarkey to Everyone:
Feel send a longer answer by email - If "small doses" of awe may be most appropriate, how would you go about selecting the experience to get the right "amount of awe" for the individual. Being conscientious to avoid potential harm for overwhelm, but wanting to get enough awe for the benefits.
08:26:21 From Carissa Cascio to Everyone:
Fascinating work, Hari! I’m curious if you have hypotheses about why autistics’ experience of awe seems less tied to physiological sensations than non-autistics?
08:26:28 From Pushpa Raghavan to Everyone:
Hi Hari , Grandma from chennai all the best to you
08:26:35 From Leah Carroll to Everyone:
Can you say more about which emotions autistics feel more intensely, and which they feel less intensely? Are there patterns in what types of emotions are experienced in different ways?
08:27:00 From Leah Carroll to Everyone:
Welcome to Hari's Grandma, logging in from India!!!
08:27:05 From Debra Kraus to Everyone:
I'm in AWE of your beautiful soul and spirit. Thank you for sharing your work today. Congratulations!!!
08:27:25 From Keivan Stassun 
Hari, incredible!!
08:27:26 From Lawrence Fung to Everyone:
Hari, this is spectacular research! It will be wonderful if this research can extend the existing domains included Research Domain Criteria in NIMH. Thoughts?
08:27:51 From Matt Stahl to Everyone:
those characteristics of awe you named at the start exactly characterize my experience of being included in this conference as an alumnus. Thank you!
08:28:18 From Heather Yaden to Everyone:
Thank you for the invite, Hari and congrats to all the amazing Haas Scholars!! ((:

Recruiting autistic participants for Research Study

Please participate if you are above age 18, autistic and live in the US. 

Scan for the consent form (takes 1 minute to complete)

Recruiting Autistic participants for a research study on autism (by an autistic for autistics)

Title: The Autistic Experience of Awe: Can Awe Become a Tool in the Autistic Coping Toolbox?

You are invited to participate if you

1._Identify as autistic (or have an autism diagnosis)

2. Above age 18 and live in the USA

If you would like to participate, please fill out the consent form. https://tinyurl.com/aweconsent

The study will be in english, completely online and takes approximately an hour. It will involve written narratives and multichoice type questions on emotions.

There is no direct benefit to you from this study. However I hope to find broader applications for the autistic community.

For any questions, please contact the student researcher, Hari Srinivasan harisri@berkeley.edu

For more on the study: https://hsp.berkeley.edu/scholars/hari-srinivasan/

SPSS

 Another first coming up. I will be presenting my research poster at SPSS conference next Feb. 

My first Psychology conference. 

Writing an abstract

My attempt at the abstract for my research project.

Past research on emotions has viewed autistics from a deficit perspective, as lacking in empathy, emotion recognition and emotional experience; even as other research posits autistic emotion experiences as more intense; and we hypothesize that this could also be true of the autistic experience of positive emotions such as awe. This first of its kind study, draws on the science of awe to examine how autistics perceive and view awe, an emotion shown to have transformative effects. This research looks at how these dimensions of emotion may diverge in autistics from what has been written from a neurotypical (non-autistic) lens. With a target sample size of n=200, the study makes use of existing self-report psychological measures of emotions, includes a new empathy measure in development by the Berkeley Social Interaction Lab, as well as written narratives, from both autistics and non-autistic controls. Data from this study will add to knowledge on: 1) autism & empathy/ emotion recognition, 2) autism & emotional experience, 3) autism & awe. Potential applications include additional tools such as “small doses of awe” that can be added to the coping and navigating toolbox for autistics.

Haas Scholars Fall Colloquium

Presented my research at the Haas Scholars Fall Colloquium today.

Overall, got very positive feedback. 

Prof Brian Powers, Sociology: I’m really overwhelmed with the depth of this research and the impact it's going to have. Well thought out project, personal as it is. It’s incredibly scholarly.

Prof Dacher Keltner, Psychology: I think many of you know that Hari writes for the Daily Cal. When he was in my class, he would send me his poetry all the time. He is a brilliant writer and a brilliant thinker and I think you all felt that in that presentation. That was an incredible tour of 13 minutes and 47 seconds, from the personal to the humorous to the in-depth critique to the societal critique to the measures to the theory. I mean that, I’ve never felt, I’ve never had a presentation in my lab of that precision. The second thing is Hari’s presentation tells us why we need diversity in scholarship. His scholarship is just you know, its a devastating critique on measures and theories out there and we need these perspectives. What a rich perspective, so it was a remarkable presentation and he’s a remarkable young scholar.