This page last updated 2024/02/28
Education
2014 - 2018 PhD Cognitive Neuroscience University of Calgary
Thesis: Disambiguating the Role of the Retrosplenial Complex in Human Navigation 🔗
Supervisor: Dr. Giuseppe Iaria
2012 - 2013 MSc Cognitive Neuroscience University of Calgary
Thesis: The Development of a Practical Measure of Environmental-Scale Spatial Ability: The Spatial Configuration Task
Supervisor: Dr. Giuseppe Iaria
2005 - 2010 BSc Psychology University of Calgary
Positions Held
2021 - 2024 Postdoctoral Associate & Lab Coordinator University of Calgary
Supervisor: Dr. Giuseppe Iaria
2018 - Curr Director Gettinglost.ca
Description: I administer a public-facing forum and maintain and develop the online testing platform. I manage student projects and external collaborations that make use of this platform.
2018 - 2020 Postdoctoral Fellow Rotman Research Institute
Supervisor: Dr. Randy McIntosh
2013 - 2014 Study Coordinator University of Calgary
Project: Canadian Institute for Military and Veteran Health Research: Measuring Spatial Abilities... 🔗
Research Funding
2016 - 2024 Co-investigator PI: Giuseppe Iaria $728,280Agency: Canadian Space Agency
Project: The detrimental effects of long duration spaceflight on human wayfinding: The behavioural and neural mechanisms
Honours & Awards
2019 CPA Certificate of Academic Excellence Doctoral Thesis
2018 NSERC PDF $90000 /2 years
2017 UCalgary Psychology Graduate Student Achievement Award
2017 HBI Trainee Publication Award $100
2016 Killam Pre-Doctoral Scholarship $66000 /2 years not cumulative with NSERC
2015 NSERC PGS-D $63000 /3 years
2015 Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship $15000 Declined
2014 UCalgary Psychology Graduate Student Achievement Award
2014 Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship $15000
2014 CPA Certificate of Academic Excellence Masters Thesis
2014 Alberta Graduate Student Scholarship $3000
2013 Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship $3600
2012 Cdn. Spring Conf. on Behavior and Brain Best Graduate Presentation
2010 Dean’s List – Faculty of Social Sciences
Research Skills
- Functional activity and connectivity (fMRI), and structural neuroimaging analysis (MRI)
- Event-Related Potential (EEG/ERP) analysis
- Experimental methodology and statistical analysis
- 3D task design in Unity
- Field neuroscience
- Methods development
- Scripting in python, bash, & C#
- Basic front and backend webserver experience: CSS, HTML, PHP, LEMP stack, SQL and NoSQL DBs. Currently operate and maintain two web servers.
Teaching Experience
2020 Instructor PSYC/NEUR 521: Cognitive & Clinical Neuroscience
2017 Co-Instructor PSYC/NEUR 521: Cognitive & Clinical Neuroscience
2016 Co-Instructor PSYC 619.22: Special Topic: Functional Neuroimaging
2016 Co-Instructor PSYC 619.17: Special Topic: Neuroimaging Meta-analysis
2016 Co-Instructor PSYC/NEUR 521: Cognitive & Clinical Neuroscience
2015 TA PSYC 615: Analysis of Variance UCalgary
2012 TA PSYC 463: Memory UCalgary
2012 TA PSYC 205: Principles of Psychology UCalgary
Publications 43
Preprint The Rapid Sense of Direction (RSOD) scale: a short and reliable measure of sense of direction
by T Jaswal, F Burles, G Iaria
in PsyArXiv 🔗
Accepted Functional brain networks in Developmental Topographical Disorientation
by M Faryadras, F Burles, G Iaria, J Davidsen
in Cerebral Cortex
Accepted Evaluating modern magnetic resonance imaging modalities to advance neuroimaging in astronauts
by L Berger, F Burles, T Jaswal, R Williams, G Iaria
in Aerospace Medicine and Human Performance
2024 Medial positioning of the hippocampus and hippocampal fissure volume in Developmental Topographical Disorientation
by A Fragueiro, C Cury, F Santacroce, F Burles, G Iarira, G Committeri
in Hippocampus 🔗
2024 Disorders of Human Spatial Navigation: Developmental Topographical Disorientation
by G Iaria, F Burles
in J. Grafman (2nd Edition) Encyclopedia of The Human Brain. Elsevier 🔗
2023 Anxiety and Depressive Traits in the Healthy Population Does Not Affect Spatial Orientation and Navigation
by I Zafar, F Burles, L Berger, M McLaren-Gradinaru, A David, I Dhillon, G Iaria
in Brain Sciences 🔗
2023 Neurocognitive Adaptations for Spatial Orientation and Navigation in Astronauts
by F Burles, G Iaria
in Brain Sciences 🔗
2023 Sex and menstrual cycle influence human navigation strategies and performance
by A Brown, F Burles, G Iaria, G Einstein, M Moscovitch
in Scientific Reports 🔗
2023 The unresolved methodological challenge of detecting neuroplastic changes in astronauts
by F Burles, R Williams, L Berger, B Pike, C Lebel, G Iaria
in Life 🔗
2023 The cognitive effects of playing video games with a navigational component
by M McLaren-Gradinaru, F Burles, A Protzner, G Iaria
in Telematics and Informatics Reports 🔗
2022 Sex differences in the relationship between age, performance, and BOLD signal variability during spatial context memory processing
by H Wang, F Burles, S Subramaniapillai, S Pasvanis, N Rajah, A Protzner
in Neurobiology of Aging 🔗
2022 The structure of prior knowledge enhances memory in experts by reducing interference
by E Wing, F Burles, J Ryan, A Gilboa
in PNAS 🔗
2022 Investigating the relationship between spatial and social cognitive maps in humans
by J Parmar, F Burles, C MacInnis, G Iaria
in Journal of Environmental Psychology 🔗
2021 Evaluation of APOE ɛ2/ɛ3/ɛ4 Alleles in a Cohort of Individuals Affected by Developmental Topographical Disorientation
by SF Barclay, K Potocki, F Burles, T Bech-Hansen, G Iaria
in Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Reports 🔗
2021 How Does Dementia Begin to Manifest in Bipolar Disorder? A Description of Prodromal Clinical and Cognitive Changes
by B Callahan, M McLaren-Gradinaru, F Burles, G Iaria
in Journal of Alzheimer's Disease 🔗
2021 Definition: Topographical disorientation
by G Iaria, F Burles
in Cortex 🔗
2020 Behavioural and cognitive mechanisms of Developmental Topographical Disorientation
by F Burles, G Iaria
in Scientific Reports 🔗
2020 Egocentric navigation abilities predict episodic memory performance
by G Committeri, A Fragueiro, M Campanile, M Lagatta, F Burles, G Iaria, C Sestieri, A Tosoni
in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 🔗
2020 Aerobic fitness is unrelated to the acquisition of hippocampal-dependent memory in college-aged adults
by M Chandler, A McGowan, F Burles, C Scavuzzo, K Mathewson, M Pontifex
in Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology 🔗
2020 A pilot study evaluating the effects of concussion on the ability to form cognitive maps for spatial orientation in adolescent hockey players
by L McFarlane, F Burles, K Yeates, K Schneider, G Iaria
in Brain Injury 🔗
2020 The emergence of cognitive maps for spatial navigation in seven- to ten-year-old children
by F Burles, I Liu, C Hart, K Murias, S Graham, G Iaria
in Child Development 🔗
2020 A Novel Training Program to Improve Human Spatial Orientation: Preliminary Findings
by M McLaren-Gradinaru, F Burles, I Dhillon, A Retsinas, A Umiltá, J Hannah, K Dolhan, G Iaria
in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 🔗
2019 Revisiting mental rotation with stereoscopic disparity: a new spin for a classic paradigm
by F Burles, J Lu, E Slone, F Cortese, G Iaria, A Protzner
in Brain and Cognition 🔗
2018 Expedition cognition: a review and prospective of subterranean neuroscience with spaceflight applications
by N Mogilever, L Zuccarelli, F Burles, G Iaria, G Strapazzon, L Bessone, E Coffey
in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 🔗
2018 Sleep quality and its association with the insular cortex in emotional empathy
by V Guadagni, F Burles, M Ferrara, G Iaria
in European Journal of Neuroscience 🔗
2018 Ventral - dorsal functional contribution of the posterior cingulate cortex in human spatial orientation: A meta-analysis
by F Burles, A Umiltá, L McFarlane, K Potocki, G Iaria
in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 🔗
2018 Largely typical electrophysiological affective responses to special interest stimuli in adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder
by K Rivard, A Protzner, F Burles, M Schuetze, I Cho, K Ten Eycke, A McCrimmon, D Dewey, F Cortese, S Bray
in Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders 🔗
2018 Poor sleep quality affects empathic responses in experienced paramedics
by V Guadagni, E Cook, C Hart, F Burles, G Iaria
in Sleep and Biological Rhythms 🔗
2017 Dorso-medial and ventro-lateral functional specialization of the human retrosplenial complex in spatial updating and orienting
by F Burles, E Slone, G Iaria
in Brain Structure and Function 🔗
2016 The effects of selective amygdalo-hippocampectomy on different spatial orientation skills
by G Iaria, G Wentzel, J Boon, F Burles, I Liu, P Federico
in Current Trends in Neurology
2016 Familial aggregation in developmental topographical disorientation (DTD)
by SF Barclay, F Burles, K Potocki, K Rancourt, M Nicolson, T Bech-Hansen, G Iaria
in Cognitive Neuropsychology 🔗
2016 Poor sleep quality affects spatial orientation in virtual environments
by S Valera, V Guadagni, E Slone, F Burles, M Ferrara, T Campbell, G Iaria
in Sleep Science 🔗
2016 Developmental Topographical Disorientation
by G Iaria, F Burles
in Trends in Cognitive Sciences 🔗
2016 The relationship between quality of sleep and emotional empathy
by V Guadagni, F Burles, S Valera, E Hardwicke-Brown, M Ferrara, T Campbell, G Iaria
in Journal of Psychophysiology 🔗
2016 Environmental layout complexity affects neural activity during navigation in humans
by E Slone, F Burles, G Iaria
in European Journal of Neuroscience 🔗
2016 Getting lost: Topographic skills in acquired and developmental prosopagnosia
by J Corrow, E Lee, S Corrow, R Pancaroglu, F Burles, B Duchaine, G Iaria, J Barton
in Cortex 🔗
2015 Neural Basis of Human Spatial Orientation
by A Arnold, I Liu, K Murias, E Slone, F Burles, V Guadagni, G Iaria
in J. Wright (2nd Edition) International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. Elsevier. 🔗
2014 The effects of sleep deprivation on emotional empathy
by V Guadagni, F Burles, M Ferrara, G Iaria
in Journal of Sleep Research 🔗
2014 Developmental topographical disorientation and decreased hippocampal functional connectivity
by G Iaria, A Arnold, F Burles, I Liu, E Slone, SF Barclay, T Bech‐Hansen, R Levy
in Hippocampus 🔗
2014 Neuroticism and self-evaluation measures are related to the ability to form cognitive maps critical for spatial orientation
by F Burles, V Guadagni, F Hoey, A Arnold, R Levy, T O’Neill, G Iaria
in Behavioural Brain Research 🔗
2014 Floor plan connectivity influences wayfinding performance in virtual environments
by E Slone, F Burles, K Robinson, R Levy, G Iaria
in Environment and Behavior 🔗
2014 Differential neural network configuration during human path integration
by A Arnold, F Burles, S Bray, R Levy, G Iaria
in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 🔗
2013 Cognitive mapping in humans and its relationship to other orientation skills
by A Arnold, F Burles, T Krivoruchko, I Liu, C Rey, R Levy, G Iaria
in Experimental Brain Research 🔗
Posters 19
2023 The unresolved methodological challenge of detecting neuroplastic changes in astronauts
by F Burles, R Williams, L Berger, B Pike, C Lebel, G Iaria
at NASA Human Research Program IWS in Galveston 🔗
2022 New magnetic resonance imaging scans to detect neuroplastic changes in astronauts
by L Berger, F Burles, R Williams, C Lebel, B Pike, G Iaria
at The Canadian Space Health Research Symposium in Calgary
2022 Investigating wayfinding, sense of place, and environmental familiarity in the International Space Station as experienced in virtual reality
by L Berger, M Walsh, R Banerjee, S Banik, F Burles, L McCunn, G Iaria
at The Canadian Space Health Research Symposium in Calgary
2020 The varied influence of prior knowledge on perception, retention, and new learning
by E Wing, F Burles, J Ryan, A Gilboa
at CNS in virtual
2018 Age-related differences in the variability of BOLD signal manifest differently across tasks, and influence information processing capacity
by H Wang, M Rajah, F Burles, S Pasvanis, A Protzner
at SFN in San Diego
2018 Effect of Acute Exercise on Spatial Navigation
by D Olafson, F Burles, G Iaria, K Mathewson, C Scavuzzo
at BASICS in Banff
2018 Wayfinding: The Behavioural and Neurological Effects of Spaceflight on Astronauts' Spatial Orientation Skills
by F Burles, G Iaria
at NASA Human Research Program IWS in Galveston
2017 Ventrolateral-Dorsomedial Specialization of Human Posterior Cingulate Cortex in Spatial Processing
by F Burles, E Slone, A Umiltá, L McFarlane, K Potocki, G Iaria
at OHBM in Vancouver
2017 Sleep quality modulates activity and connectivity of the left anterior insula in emotional empathy
by V Guadagni, F Burles, C Hart, M Ferrara, G Iaria
at OHBM in Vancouver
2017 Tracking altitude-related changes in processing capacity with brain signal variability
by A Heard, J Hart, F Burles, S Hartmann, M Furian, M Lichblau, L Muralt, P Bader, S Ulrich, K Bloch, J Rawling, P Pexman, M Poulin, A Protzner
at Hypoxia in Banff
2016 Functional specialization of the posterior cingulate in spatial updating and orienting
by F Burles, E Slone, G Iaria
at iNav in Bad Gastein
2016 The relationship between quality of sleep and emotional empathy
by V Guadagni, F Burles, S Valera, E Hardwicke-Brown, M Ferrara, T Campbell, G Iaria
at European Sleep Research Society in Bologna
2014 Environmental Connectivity Influences Wayfinding Performance and Neural Mechanisms in Virtual Environments
by E Slone, F Burles, G Iaria
at NeuroGaming in San Francisco
2014 Decreased functional connectivity between the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex is associated with lifelong history of getting lost
by G Iaria, A Arnold, F Burles, I Liu, E Slone, SF Barclay, T Bech-Hansen, R Levy
at Cognitive Neuroscience Society in Boston
2014 The behavioural and neurological effects of stereoscopic presentation of mental rotation stimuli
by F Burles, E Slone, J Lu, F Cortese, G Iaria, A Protzner
at HBI Research Day in Calgary
2014 The Effects of Sleep Deprivation on Emotional Empathy
by V Guadagni, F Burles, M Ferrara, G Iaria
at HBI Research Day in Calgary
2014 Evidence of a Genetic Basis for Developmental Topographical Disorientation
by SF Barclay, T Bech-Hansen, F Burles, G Iaria
at American Society of Human Genetics in San Diego
2012 Neural sources of behavioural variability in landmark orientation
by A Arnold, F Burles, A Protzner, S Bray, B Goodyear, R Levy, G Iaria
at FENS in Barcelona
2011 Developmental Topographical Disorientation: A Newly Discovered Cognitive Disorder
by A Arnold, F Burles, J Barton, G Iaria
at Cognitive Neuroscience Society in San Francisco
Presentations 10
2022 Spaceflight-related neuroplastic adaptations and wayfinding in astronauts
at the Canadian Space Health Research Symposium in Calgary
2022 Aerospace Medical Education Opportunities for Canadians - NASA
at the TAC Conference / Canadian Society for Aerospace Medicine in Montreal
2022 Wayfinding: How Space Flight Affects Astronauts’ Brains
at the TAC Conference / Canadian Society for Aerospace Medicine in Montreal
2021 Hazards of Spaceflight Panelist
at the Western University - Space Day in London, Ontario 🔗
2018 The cartographer and the navigator: The retrosplenial cortex in spatial orientation and navigation
at the Rotman Research Rounds in Toronto 🔗
2017 The cartographer and the navigator
at the UCalgary Dept. of Psychology Research Achievement Day in Calgary
2017 Functional specialization within the retrosplenial complex for spatial encoding versus orienting
at the HBI Advanced Imaging Seminar Series in Calgary
2015 Retrosplenial complex activity and connectivity in spatial updating and orienting
at the UCalgary Dept. of Psychology Cognitive Science Seminar in Calgary
2014 The behavioural and neurological effects of stereoscopic presentation of mental rotation stimuli
at the UCalgary Dept. of Psychology Cognitive Science Seminar in Calgary
2012 Dissecting human spatial orientation: The contribution of different cognitive strategies to orient in familiar and unfamiliar surroundings
at the Canadian Spring Conference on Behaviour and Brain in Fernie