A case for human systems neuroscience

Highlights • We used a human systems neuroscience approach to understand neural mechanisms by which attention improves visual performance. • Humans as a model system have an advantage as behaviors can be explicitly instructed and highly sophisticated. • Human neural measurements are generally noninvasive and indirect, but retinotopy and contrast–response are highly reliable. • Computational modeling allowed us to test various linking hypotheses between quantitative behavioral and neural measurements. • Human systems neuroscience should validate and extend animal model findings in humans and form a link to higher cognition.