Join us TODAY Mad Scientist for an online discussion!
Topic: “A Mad Scientist’s Lab for Bio-Convergence Research”
With: Drs Cooke and Mezzacappa from RDECOM-ARDEC Tactical Behavior Research Laboratory (TBRL)
When: FEBRUARY 27th at 1:00 to 2:00 PM EST
Link: https://connect.apan.org/r3bgfq47484?launcher=false
Presentation is UNCLASSIFIED, Distribution A, in its entirety
Drs. Cooke and Mezzacappa will present an overview of two research programs currently being conducted at the Tactical Behavior Research Laboratory. The first experiment investigates the initial processes in merging of human and machine into one system through electrophysiology. The second effort investigates decision-making by operators through human data gathering in a customizable high-fidelity virtual environment. This research is part of a larger effort that uses the laboratory’s state-of-the art virtual and mixed reality facilities to configure a test bed that will lead to the ability to test individual Soldier targeting and shooting performance in a simulated environment and the individual’s effects on brigade level mission performance.
The presentation will conclude with proposed work for future experimentation relevant to bio-convergence, with a special emphasis in artificial intelligence and remote autonomous systems.
Dr. Gordon Cooke is a research engineer and principal investigator at the Tactical Behavior Research Laboratory (TBRL) at the Army’s Armament Research Development Engineering Center. He is also an Assistant Professor the Army’s Armament Graduate School. His areas of interest include the performance of humans in military environment scenarios. Gordon is a graduate of the US Military Academy at West Point and former Combat Engineer Officer. He received his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Stevens Institute of Technology.
Dr. Elizabeth Mezzacappa is also a scientist at the TBRL and an Assistant Professor at the Army’s Armament Graduate School. Her research interests include human domain and human dimension areas relevant to military operations. She received her PhD in Medical Psychology from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences.
As Principal Investigator, she has led or assisted teams in the design, preparation for, and execution and analysis of over three dozen studies and experiments. Dr. Mezzacappa also has served on several local and national boards relevant to behavioral sciences in the military. Prior to her work at the TBRL, Dr. Mezzacappa was on the research faculty or staff at Columbia University, the New Jersey Medical School, and SUNY Stony Brook with funding from NASA, NIH, NIMH, and NSF. She utilized many diverse methods of experimental social psychology, psychophysiology, endocrine assay, online and traditional survey methods, and fMRI neuroimaging techniques.
Drs. Cooke and Mezzacappa together with their lab have won two Army Research and Development Achievement Awards (2012. 2013), and a Best Paper Award at the 26th Army Science Conference.