I am a postdoctoral researcher at the Vision Lab, IISc Bangalore. I hold a PhD in Cognitive Sciences from the Centre for Neural and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hyderabad. My research interests include attention, cognitive control, individual differences in cognition, and real-world cognition.
Currently based in Bangalore, I grew up in Nagpur, Maharashtra, and have had the opportunity to live in several cities, which has deepened my appreciation for diversity. Outside of work, I enjoy reading Japanese fiction, historical texts, and short stories — Men Without Women by Haruki Murakami is a personal favorite. I also have a passion for film, often exploring international cinema and engaging with critical reviews.
Research
I study how our minds pay attention to the world around us; How we focus on what matters, ignore distractions, and how these processes differ across individuals. My work brings together attention, perception, cognitive control, and real-world cognition to understand how we adapt to the constantly changing visual world.
Using visual search experiments, eye-tracking, and behavioral studies, I investigate how both conscious and unconscious cues guide attention. For example, I ask whether subtle cues can capture our attention even when we are unaware of them, and how executive control helps us resist distraction in such cases.
Currently, I am leading work on the Indian Face Perception Project, the first large-scale effort in India to study face recognition abilities, from people with prosopagnosia (face blindness) to super recognizers who never forget a face.
This project combines behavioral testing with cultural context, aiming to uncover how face perception varies across individuals and societies.
My research seeks to understand cognition in everyday life.
Publications
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Bhatia, D., Mohite, V., Spataro, P., Rossi-Arnaud, C., & Mishra, R. K. (2022). Effects of pointing movements on visuospatial working memory in a joint-action condition: Evidence from eye movements. Memory & Cognition, 50(2), 261-277.
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Mohite, V., Prasad, S., & Mishra, R. K. (2024). Investigating the role of spatial filtering on distractor suppression. Attention, Perception, & Psychophysics, 86(7), 2552-2563..
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Gudde, H.,Diessel, H., Collier, ......, Kapiley, K., Khutsishvili, T., Kolding, S.,Priiki, K., Mačiukaitytė, I., Mohite, V., Nahkola, T., Tsoi, M., Williams, S., Yasuda, S., Cangelosi, A., Duñabeitia, J., Mishra, R., Rocca, R., Šķilters, J., Wallentin, P., Žilinskaitė-Šinkūnienė, E., Incel, O. Spatial Communication Systems Across Languages Reflect Universal Action Constraints. Nature Human Behaviour.
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Mohite, V., Prasad, S., & Mishra, R. K. (2025). Role of consciousness in distractor avoidance. In Attention and Cognition (pp. 72-89). Routledge India.
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Mohite, V., & Munda, S. Temporality of Feature Remapping Across Saccades. Journal of Neuroscience. (under review)
Awards
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The SynTalk Medal 2025, SynthesisTalk, India
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Psychonomic Society’s 2022 J. Frank Yates Student Conference Award
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International Travel Grant, IOE Scheme, University of Hyderabad (2022)
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Erasmus+ International Credit Mobility Project 2020-23 Leiden University
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CSM National Research Fellowship 2019-2023
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FENS-SfN Summer School 2019 on Brain reading and writing: new perspectives of neurotechnology
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British Council 70th anniversary Scholarships 2018
Selected Snapshots
