Saeideh Ghahghaei

Research Scientist

Meta

PhD in Cognitive Psychology, Goldsmiths, University of London, UK BSc in Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

I am a cognitive psychologists and a vision scientist. I am interested in understanding reading problems in order to improve the reading experience. Along with Dr. Chandna, I study higher visual function deficits in children with cerebral visual impairment (CVI). Specifically, in collaboration with with Dr. Chandna I lead the research to investigate how CVI affects reading in each child in order to improve or develop individualized (re)habilitation techniques or assistive technologies. In addition, I am interested to understand how TBI (which is a form of CVI) affects reading in adults. I am also interested in binocular vision (stereopsis, fusion, suppression) and how the two eyes work together during daily living tasks in individuals with normal or abnormal vision, such as strabismus or amblyopia. To do so, I use (i) qualitative methods such as as in-depth interviews, surveys and questionnaires and (ii) quantitative methods such as regression, factor analysis and cluster analysis on objective data (e.g., eye-movements and accommodation measurements; behavioural data on psychophysics experiments or EEG). Furthermore, I develop applications that can be used for research or rehabilitation.

Contact Information:

Email: saeideh@ski.org

Office Phone: (415) 345-2064


2318 Fillmore St

San Francisco, CA 94115

Publications

Verghese, P. ., Ghahghaei, S. ., & Lively, Z. . (2022). Mapping residual stereopsis in macular degeneration. Journal of Vision, 22(13). (Original work published 2022)

Chandna, A. ., Ghahghaei, S. ., Foster, S. ., & Kumar, R. . (2021). Higher Visual Function Deficits in Children With Cerebral Visual Impairment and Good Visual Acuity. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience , 15. 10.3389/fnhum.2021.711873 (Original work published 2021)

Verghese, P. ., & Ghahghaei, S. . (2020). Predicting stereopsis in macular degeneration. Journal of Neuroscience. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0491-20.2020 (Original work published 2020)

Ghahghaei, S. ., Reed, O. ., Candy, T. ., & Chandna, A. . (2019). Calibration of the PlusOptix PowerRef 3 with change in viewing distance, adult age and refractive error. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 39(4), 7. (Original work published 2019)

Ghahghaei, S. ., McKee, S. P., & Verghese, P. . (2019). The upper disparity limit increases gradually with eccentricity. Journal of Vision, 19(11). (Original work published 2019)

Ghahghaei, S. ., & Linnell, K. J. (2018). The effect of load on spatial attention depends on preview: Evidence from a reading study. Vision Research. (Original work published 2018)

Ghahghaei, S. ., & Verghese, P. . (2017). Texture segmentation influences the spatial profile of presaccadic attention. Journal of Vision, 17(2).

Shanidze, N. ., Ghahghaei, S. ., & Verghese, P. . (2016). Accuracy of Eye Position for Saccades and Smooth Pursuit. Journal of Vision, 16(23). 10.1167/16.15.23 (Original work published 2016)

Verghese, P. ., Tyson, T. L., Ghahghaei, S. ., & Fletcher, D. C. (2016). Depth Perception and Grasp in Central Field Loss. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 57, 1476-87.

Ghahghaei, S. ., & Walker, L. . (2016). The crowding factor method applied to parafoveal vision. Journal of Vision, 16(11), 7.

Ghahghaei, S. ., & Verghese, P. . (2015). Efficient saccade planning requires time and clear choices. Vision Research, 113, 125-36.

Ghahghaei, S. ., Linnell, K. ., Fischer, M. H., Dubey, A. ., & Davis, R. . (2013). Effects of load on the time course of attentional engagement, disengagement, and orienting in reading. Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, 66(3). (Original work published 2013)

Chandna, A. ., Chapin, P. ., Ghahghaei, S. ., & Pitcher-Cooper, C. . (2021). Assessment and management of cerebral visual impairment (CVI). CTEBVI. (Original work published 2021)

Ghahghaei, S. ., Harris, S. ., Singh, D. ., & Chandna, A. . (2021). The spectrum of reading difficulties in children with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI): a qualitative study. ARVO. (Original work published 2021)

Chandna, A. ., Ghahghaei, S. ., & Foster, S. . (2021). Characterization of Higher Visual Function Deficits (HVFDs) with a Question Inventory in children with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI) and good visual acuity (VA). ARVO. (Original work published 2021)

Wong, M. ., Ghahghaei, S. ., Chandna, A. ., & Kulkarni, A. . (2021). Scalable non-invasive pediatric cerebral visual impairment screening with the higher visual function question inventory (HVFQI). (Original work published 2021)

Ghahghaei, S. ., Haile, M. ., Chandna, A. ., & Schneck, M. . (2019). Reading in mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (mTBI).

Ghahghaei, S. . (2019). CVI and the reading brain. (Original work published 2019)

Ghahghaei, S. ., & Verghese, P. . (2018). Stereo perimetry reveals a foveal impairment of stereopsis in amblyopia.

Ghahghaei, S. ., Haile, M. ., Chandna, A. ., & Schneck, M. . (2018). Reading in mild to moderate traumatic brain injury (mTBI). (Original work published 2018)

Ghahghaei, S. ., & Walker, L. . (2016). SKERI-Optos: A Graphical User Interface to Map Scotoma and PRL with the Optos OCT/SLO. (Original work published 2016)

Succar, T. ., Ghahghaei, S. ., Fletcher, D. C., & Walker, L. . (2016). Restoring Functional Stereopsis in AMD with Dichoptic Training. (Original work published 2016)

Ghahghaei, S. ., & Verghese, P. . (2015). Feedback about gaze position improves saccade efficiency.

Verghese, P. ., & Ghahghaei, S. . (2013). Immediate feedback improves saccadic efficiency. Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Projects

  • Stereopsis in Macular Degeneration
    Active
    Stereopsis in Macular Degeneration

    Macular degeneration affects the central retina, often causing asymmetrical damage to the two eyes. How does this asymmetrical loss affect stereopsis — the percept of depth generated by the small separation of image features in the two eyes?

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  • Upper Depth Limit Across Visual Field
    Completed
    Upper Depth Limit Across Visual Field

    Stereopsis is important for tasks of daily living such as eye-hand coordination. It is best in central vision but is also mediated by the periphery. Previously we have shown that individuals with central-field loss who have residual stereopsis in the periphery perform better at an eye-hand-coordination task. Here we sought to determine what sets the limit of stereopsis, defined as the largest disparity that supports the sustained appearance of depth, in the near periphery in healthy individuals.

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  • Active
    Investigating Reading in Individuals with Cerebral Visual Impairment (CVI)
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  • Adaptive Visual Strategies for Individuals with Macular Degeneration
    Active
    Adaptive Visual Strategies for Individuals with Macular Degeneration

    In this project we try to gain a better understanding of what visual strategies people use to gather information in the world.

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  • Completed
    The Window of Spatial Attention in Reading

    We investigate the dynamics of spatial attention while the eyes move around to gather information.

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  • Completed
    Parafoveal Crowding

    Crowding increases with eccentricity, and is most readily observed in the periphery. During natural, active vision however, central vision plays an important role. Measures of critical distance to estimate crowding are difficult in central vision, as these distances are small. Any overlap of flankers with the target may create an overlay masking confound. The crowding factor method avoids this issue by simultaneously modulating target size and flanker distance and using a ratio to compare crowded to uncrowded conditions. This method was developed and applied in the periphery (Petrov &…

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  • Fovea Use During Smooth Pursuit
    Active
    Fovea Use During Smooth Pursuit

    There is continuing debate as to whether smooth pursuit relies on the foveation of a moving target, especially when the target is compact. Previous studies have shown that gaze is placed on the center-of-mass of a target during saccadic eye movements. This research aims to understand whether eye placement is similarly centered during smooth pursuit and whether foveation is necessary for pursuing a small stimulus.

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  • State of the Science Conference On Rehabilitation Technology & Methods For a Changing Population
    Inactive
    State of the Science Conference On Rehabilitation Technology & Methods For a Changing Population

    Date: Friday, December 4, 2015

    Location: The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute, 2318 Fillmore St., San Francisco CA 94115

    The goal of this invitation-only conference was to identify needs for future research in rehabilitation technology, methods for the blind and visually impaired population, and those with dual sensory loss.

    Program:
    8:45 – 9:15 Check-in and coffee/pastries

    9:15 – 9:25 Welcome

    9:25 – 9:45 Keynote: Paul Schroeder (link to YouTube video)

    9:45 – 10:45 Panel 1: Changing Populations. How should we change our approach to assessing and addressing visual impairments? (link to YouTube…

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  • SKERI-VF
    Completed
    SKERI-VF

    Walker et al (Renninger, Psomadakis, Dang & Fletcher, 2008) suggested a novel method to estimate the monocular scotoma area from perimetry data in macular degeneration based on (i) an optic-disc based estimation of the location of the fovea and (ii) the increase in the receptive field size with eccentricity. Here, Dr Walker and I introduce a new GUI that applies this method to data from the Optos OCT/SLO.

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  • Completed
    Impact of Eye Movements on Reach Performance

    Aim 2 of Reaching with Central Field Loss

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