Dr. Laurent Itti

Professor

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Biography

Laurent Itti received his M.S. degree in Image Processing from Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Télécommunications (Paris, France) in 1994, and his Ph.D. in Computation Neural Systems from the California Institute of Technology (Pasadena, California) in 2000. He has held positions as Assistant, Associate, and Full Professor in the fields of Computer Science, Psychology, and Neuroscience at the University of Southern California. His research interests focus on biologically-inspired computational vision, especially in areas such as visual attention, scene understanding, control of eye movements, and the concept of surprise. Itti has contributed to basic research and its technological applications in various domains, including video compression, target detection, and robotics. He has co-authored around 150 publications across peer-reviewed journals, books, conferences, and patents. Itti is also known for his development of open-source neuromorphic vision software toolkits, highlighting his contribution to the field of computational neuroscience and cognitive theory.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor

— Present

University of Southern California • Los Angeles, CA

Full Professor in the fields of Computer Science, Psychology, and Neuroscience.

Awards

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Top-10 Cited Recent Paper Award

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Okawa Foundation Research Award

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New Faculty Award

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#1 Downloaded Paper

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Top Cited Article Award (2008-2010)

Requirements for University of Southern California

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Listening
Required:20
Reading
Required:20
Writing
Required:20
Speaking
Required:20
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:6.5
GRE General
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Math, or Hard Science
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Official transcripts
  • Personal Statement
  • Resume/CV
  • Letters of Recommendation (not required for MS CS, but allowed)
Specialization Notes

GRE is NOT required for Master's applicants for 2025-2026.