About Us - People - Zupan

As Director of Research and Geospatial Technology Services, my mission is to:

• establish healthy 2-way communications with Tufts research and GIS communities,
• provide as well as market and brand high-quality technology services to Tufts research and GIS communities
• lead in the monitoring, design, implementation and application of emerging technologies for research and GIS communities.
  

One focus of my position is to develop, manage and expand University-wide technology services and programs in support of research and GIS across all Tufts schools. Our centralized research IT core services include storage, research software licensing, research and scientific computing (e.g. cluster and bioinformatics server), tools for collaboration and communication, tools for visualization.  Our centralized GIS core services include the GIS Center, consultations, geospatial data acquisition, courses and workshops. 

By providing Tufts research and GIS communities with the highest quality services and by anticipating their research technology needs, my goal is to enable Tufts faculty and students to become world leaders in their domain.

Engineer in Computer Science, Area of Specialization "Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Sciences", 1991, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications, Paris, France.

Ph.D. in Image and Signal Processing, 1995, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications, Paris, France.

Before coming to Tufts University, I was Assistant-Professor of Otology and Laryngology at Harvard Medical School, and Principal Investigator at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary (Boston MA). During my academic career, I have been awarded grants from the European Space Agency (ESA), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

My professional interests focus on Information Technology in support of Research, Emerging Technologies, Science and Engineering.

Publications:

• Darlot C, Zupan LH, Etard O, Denise P, Maruani A (1996). Computation of inverse dynamics for the control of movements. Biol Cybern, 75(2):173-86.
  
• Merfeld DM*, Zupan LH*, Peterka RJ (1999). Humans use an internal model to estimate gravity and linear acceleration. Nature, 398:615-618. (*co-first authors).
• Wall C III, Merfeld DM, Zupan LH (1999). Effects of static orientation upon human optokinetic afternystagmus. Acta Otolaryngol, 119(1):16-23.
  
• Zupan LH, Perterka R, Merfeld DM (2000). Neural processing of gravito-inertial cues in humans: I. Influence of the semicircular canals following post-rotatory tilt. J Neurophysiol, 84:2001-2015.
• Merfeld DM, Zupan LH, Gifford CA (2001). Neural processing of gravito-inertial cues in humans: II. Influence of the semicircular canals during eccentric rotation. J Neurophysiol, 85:1648-1660.
• Merfeld DM, Zupan LH (2002). Neural processing of gravito-inertial cues in humans. III. Modeling tilt and translation responses. J Neurophysiol, 87:819-833.
• Zupan LH and Merfeld DM (2003). Neural processing of gravito-inertial cues in humans. IV. Influence of roll visual rotational cues on human orientation and eye movements. J Neurophysiol, 89: 390-400.
• Zupan LH, Merfeld DM, Darlot C (2002). Using Sensory Weighting to Model the Influence of Canal, Otolith and Visual Cues on Spatial Orientation and Eye Movements. Biol Cybern, 86:209-230.
• Zupan LH, Park S, Merfeld DM (2004). The Nervous System uses internal models to achieve sensory integration. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc, 6:4487-90.
• Peterka RJ, Gianna-Poulin CC, Zupan LH, Merfeld DM (2004). Origin of orientation-dependent asymmetries in vestibulo-ocular reflexes evoked by caloric stimulation. J Neurophysiol, 92(4):2333-45.
  
• Israël I, Crockett M, Zupan LH, Merfeld D (2005). Reproduction of on-center and off-center self-rotations. Exp Brain Res, 163(4):540-6.
  
• Zupan LH, Merfeld DM (2005). Human ocular torsion and perceived roll responses to linear acceleration. J Vestib Res, 15:173-183.
• Zupan LH, Merfeld DM (2005). An internal model of head kinematics predicts the influence of head orientation on reflexive eye movements. J Neural Eng, 2:S180-197.
• Zupan LH, Merfeld DM (2008). Interaural self-motion linear velocity thresholds are shifted by roll vection. Exp Brain Res. 191(4):505-11.