Biography & Contacts

Biography

Doug Crawford is the Canada Research Chair in Visuomotor Neuroscience, Distinguished Research Professor in Neuroscience. Crawford completed his PhD in Physiology at Western University in 1993 and then spent two years as an MRC Fellow at the Montreal Neurological Institute, before joining the York Department of Psychology in 1995.

For the past 26 years his work at the York Centre for Vision Research has focused on the control of visual gaze in 3D space, eye-hand coordination, and spatial memory during eye movements. This has resulted in over 160 papers in publications such as Nature, Science and Annual Review of Neuroscience, and has garnered numerous awards, including the 2004 Steacie Prize and the 2016 Canadian Physiological Society Sarrazin Award.

He has trained over 60 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows, most of them graduating to long-term academic, clinical, industry and government research positions. He has founded various groups and programs, including the York Neurophysiology Labs, the York Graduate Diploma Program in Neuroscience, the Canadian Action and Perception Network (CAPnet), the 'Brain in Action' International Research Training Program, directed the CFREF-funded VISTA program for 7 years, and the Connected Minds program hosted at York University with Partner Institution Queen's University.

Current Positions

• Canada Research Chair in Visuomotor Neuroscience
• York Research Chair in Visuomotor Neuroscience (Tier 1)
• Chair, York Neuroscience Research & Training Leaders Steering Committee
• Member, Canadian Brain Research Strategy Neuroscience Leaders Group
• Member, Graduate Diploma Program in Neuroscience, Faculty of Health, York
• Distinguished Research Professor in Neuroscience
• Psychology, Biology, Kinesiology & Health Sciences
• Member, Canadian Action and Perception Network (CAPnet)
• Member and Steering Committee Member, York Centre for Vision Research
• Member, Brain in Action International Research Training Group

Selected Awards

• 2021 York Research Chair in Visuomotor Neuroscience (~$100,000/yr)
• 2020 British Columbia Leading Edge Endowment Fund Chair (~$275,000/yr, declined)
• 2020 'World's Top Two Per Cent Researchers'. Stanford University/PLOS Biology
• 2019 Post-Doctoral Fellow Supervisor of the Year Award
• 2018 President's Research Excellence Award ($10,000.00)
• Dean's Research Award (Established Career) for 2015-2016 York University
• 2007-2014 Canadian Research Chair (CIHR Tier I)
• 2004 The Steacie Prize. "Presented once a year to a scientist or engineer of 40 years of age or less for outstanding scientific research carried out in Canada."
• 2003 Faculty of Graduate Studies Teaching Award (York U.) For supervision, curriculum development & teaching
• 2002 CIAR Young Explorer Award "Top 20 Young Canadian Investigators"
• 2001-06 Canada Research Chair (Tier II)
• 2000 Premier's Research Excellence Award (Government of Ontario)
• 1999 Dean's Award for Outstanding Research (York University)
• 1996-98 Alfred P. Sloan Neuroscience Fellowship
• 1995 John Charles Polanyi Prize In Physiology / Medicine (Government of Ontario)
• 1993 Governor General Gold Medal (University of Western Ontario)