BME Seminar Series: Scott Galster, Ph.D. - Chief, Applied Neuroscience Branch, Air Force Research Laboratory

Title: "Sense-Assess-Augment: Towards a Quantified Warrior"

ABSTRACT

 In 2013 the author proposed the Sense-Assess-Augment taxonomy as a way to both align research efforts and communicate activities and results across the Human Effectiveness Directorate at the Air Force Research Laboratory. The presentation will provide a review of the research and development efforts aligned with this taxonomy and how they have culminated in advances towards real-time sensing and assessment capabilities.  These advancements have been used to provide just-in-time contextually relevant augmentations to maintain or increase cognitive performance in operationally relevant environments. Specifically, results from research utilizing multiple integrated sensing technologies both in the laboratory and in the field will be presented as will the real-time and personalized methodologies employed to provide accurate and timely assessments of cognitive workload. The application of this taxonomy outside of the DoD will also be discussed.  Additional beneficiaries of this technology include the athletic domain as well as the medical community serving those suffering from neurological disorders. In addition, the taxonomy will be examined from the perspective of how it aligns with the three major AFRL research thrust vectors: Personalized Health and Performance, Airman Protection, and Human-Machine Teaming. Furthermore, recent advances and future strategic plans utilizing the taxonomy will also be discussed. 

BIOGRAPHY

Dr. Scott Galster is the Chief of the Applied Neuroscience Branch, Warfighter Interface Division, Human Effectiveness Directorate, 711 Human Performance Wing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.  Dr. Galster is accountable for strategic planning, development, execution and reporting of a diverse body of research and development efforts examining the applied neuroscience aspects of decision making and performance spanning the identification of genetic factors influencing stress responses to increasing distributed team performance.  Dr. Galster is the founder of the Sense-Assess-Augment paradigm used across the DoD to sense operator state, assess that state relative to performance, and provide focused and personalized augmentations to assure mission success. Dr. Galster holds a Ph.D. in Applied Experimental Psychology from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He is the recipient of a NASA fellowship award, the Paul Fitts Engineering award, and the International Program award for Human Effectiveness.  Dr Galster is also an Adjunct Professor, College of Medicine, Department of Neuroscience at the Ohio State University.