David M. Kaplan
I am an Associate Professor in the School of Psychological Sciences at Macquarie University, where I serve as Head of Neuroscience Education.
I am also an Associate Investigator with the Minds and Intelligences Research Centre and the Performance and Expertise Research Centre at Macquarie University.
My research sits at the intersection of motor neuroscience, systems neuroscience, and the philosophy of neuroscience. I study the computational processes underlying movement planning and sensorimotor learning, including how sensory uncertainty shapes learning and how expert motor skills develop in minimally invasive and robotic surgery.
Research themes
Sensorimotor learning
How people plan, control, and adapt movement when sensory information is uncertain.
Expert performance
The sensorimotor challenges of minimally invasive and robotic surgery.
Philosophy of neuroscience
Explanation, modelling, measurement, neural computation, and model organisms.
Background
I completed a PhD in Philosophy and Cognitive Neuroscience at Duke University in 2007. I then held postdoctoral fellowships at Washington University in St. Louis before joining Macquarie University.
Selected publications
Rethinking psychological measurement: Validity potential versus realised validity.Higgins, Gillett, Kaplan, Sutton & Ross · Studies in History and Philosophy of Science · 2026 · DOI
Repurposing model organisms in neuroscience: What is the purpose?Kaplan · Biology & Philosophy · 2025 · DOI
Context sensitivity versus aiming in motor learning under uncertainty.Crossley, Hewitson & Kaplan · Journal of Motor Behavior · 2025 · DOI
Sensorimotor challenges in minimally invasive surgery: A theoretically-oriented review.Hewitson, Crossley, Cartmill & Kaplan · Human Factors · 2024 · DOI
Proxy failure and poor measurement practices in psychological science.Higgins, Gillett, Kaplan & Ross · Behavioral and Brain Sciences 47:e75 · 2024 · DOI
Error-independent effect of sensory uncertainty on motor learning when both feedforward and feedback control processes are engaged.Hewitson, Kaplan & Crossley · PLoS Computational Biology 19(9):e1010526 · 2023 · DOI
Complete list on Google ScholarCurriculum vitae
Current appointment
Associate Professor and Head of Neuroscience Education, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University.
Education
PhD, Philosophy and Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, 2007
BA, Philosophy, University of California San Diego, 1997
Areas of specialisation
Motor neuroscience · Systems neuroscience · Philosophy of neuroscience · Philosophy of cognitive science
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