Natela Shanidze

Scientist

Ph.D. in Neuroscience, University of Michigan
M.S. in Neuroscience, University of Michigan
A.B. in Physics, University of Chicago
A.B. in Psychology, University of Chicago

My research interests are placed at a number of intersections, such as senses, modalities and effectors. Currently in my lab, we are investigating the effects of central vision loss on visual/vestibular interactions and the effects of lifetime noise exposure on vestibular function.

In the experiments that examine central field loss, I am interested in how changes in the visual and vestibular senses are reflected in eye-head coordination and how these changes, in turn, affect tasks of daily living (such as navigation and walking). Considering that central visual field loss is most commonly age-related, I am interested in teasing out how aging and sensory loss affect each other in this population.

Noise exposure is a known cause of hearing deficits and those with noise-induced hearing deficits often report dizziness and instability. This relationship is unsurprising given the close proximity of auditory and vestibular sensors in the head and that the two systems share the VIII nerve. However, direct research into how auditory noise can affect the vestibular system is rather limited. I would like to help fill this gap.

To study these questions, my lab uses a mixture of vestibular and visual stimulation, eye and head movements, psychophysics and other behavioral measures.

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Eye-Head Movement Laboratory
Contact Information:

Email: natela@ski.org

Office Phone: (415) 345-2144


2318 Fillmore Street

San Francisco, California 94115

Links:
Google Scholar ResearchGate
Mentorship Period:
2014-2018

Publications

A cartoon of two individuals walking along a street with thought bubbles imagining a fall and an ambulance for one and consternation about foot placement in the other.

Shanidze, N.M., Agathos, C.P., Ellmers, T.J., & Young, W.R., (2026). Links Between Central Visual Field Loss and Movement Processing during Walking. Gait & Posture, 110095. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gaitpost.2026.110095

diagram of a head rotation that does not produce an eye counterrotation and instead the eyes are rotated to a new target by the head

Shanidze, M. N. & Velisar, A. (2025). Cancellation of the Vestibulo-Ocular Reflex during Smooth Pursuit in Patients with Maculopathy. Frontiers in Neurology, 16, 1632527.

Health professional helping an older adult fill out information on a clipboard

Agathos, C.P, Shanidze, N.M., Fletcher, D.C. (2025). Importance of screening for contrast sensitivity, falls and mobility limitations in older adults with maculopathy. American Journal of Ophthalmology. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2025.08.051

Shanidze, N. ., & Verghese, P. . (2024). Smooth pursuit deficits impact dynamic visual acuity in macular degeneration. Optometry and Vision Science, 101(6), 8. 10.1097/OPX.0000000000002144 (Original work published 2024)

Agathos, C. P., & Shanidze, N. . (2024). Visual Field Dependence Persists in Age-Related Central Visual Field Loss. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 65(2). doi.org/10.1167/iovs.65.2.22 (Original work published 2024)

Velisar, A. ., & Shanidze, N. . (2024). Noise Estimation for Head-Mounted 3D Binocular Eye Tracking using Pupil Core Eye Tracking Goggles. Behavior Research Methods, 56(1), 27. 10.3758/s13428-023-02150-0 (Original work published 2024)

Agathos, C. P., Velisar, A. ., & Shanidze, N. . (2023). A Comparison of Walking Behavior during the Instrumented TUG and Habitual Gait. Sensors, 23(16). 10.3390/s23167261 (Original work published 2023)

Lotze, A. ., Love, K. ., Velisar, A. ., & Shanidze, N. . (2022). A low-cost robotic oculomotor simulator for assessing eye tracking accuracy in health and disease. Behavior Research Methods. 10.3758/s13428-022-01938-w (Original work published 2022)

Shanidze, N. ., Lively, Z. ., Lee, R. ., & Verghese, P. . (2022). Saccadic contributions to smooth pursuit in macular degeneration. Vision Research, 200, 108102. 10.1016/j.visres.2022.108102 (Original work published 2022)

Verghese, P. ., Vullings, C. ., & Shanidze, N. . (2020). Eye Movements in Macular Degeneration. Annual Reviews of Vision Science, 7. doi.org/10.1146/annurev-vision-100119-125555 (Original work published 2021)

Shanidze, N. ., & Velisar, A. . (2020). Eye, Head & Gaze Contributions to Smooth Pursuit in Macular Degeneration. Journal of Neurophysiology. 10.1152/jn.00001.2020 (Original work published 2020)

Shanidze, N. ., & Verghese, P. . (2019). Motion perception in central field loss. Journal of Vision, 19, 20–20. 10.1167/19.14.20 (Original work published 2019)

A participant sits in a rotational chair that rotates in the yaw direction.

Velisar, A. ., Visht, A. ., & Shanidze, N. . (2025). Effects of Lifetime Noise Exposure on VOR Adaptation. San Diego, California.

A cartoon of two individuals walking along a street with thought bubbles imagining a fall and an ambulance for one and consternation about foot placement in the other.

Rosengren, B., Agathos, C. P., Velisar, A. ., Visht, A., & Shanidze, N. . (2025). Fall-related ruminations are linked to spatial orientation and processing efficiency. San Diego, California.

A participant sits in a rotational chair that rotates in the yaw direction.

Visht, A., Velisar, A. ., Rosengren, B., & Shanidze, N. . (2025). Vestibulo-ocular Reflex in Central Field Vision Loss. San Diego, California.

Shanidze, N. ., Velisar, A. ., & Agathos, C. P. (2025). Lifetime Noise Exposure is Associated with Greater Postural Sway during Quiet Stance. Maastricht, Netherlands.

Velisar, A. ., Agathos, C. P., Telaprolu, D. S. L., & Shanidze, N. . (2025). Lifetime Noise Exposure Affects Age-Related Gait Changes. Maastricht, Netherlands.

Rosengen, B. ., Agathos, C. P., & Shanidze, N. . (2025). Fall-Related Ruminations are Linked to Spatial Orientation and Cognitive Flexibility. San Francisco, CA, USA.

Agathos, C. P., Velisar, A. ., & Shanidze, N. . (2025). Postural Adaptations to Eccentric Viewing Strategies in Age-Related Central Visual Field Loss. Durham, UK.

Agathos, C. P., Velisar, A. ., & Shanidze, N. . (2025). Examining gaze-driven postural adaptations in older adults with and without central visual field loss. Maastricht, Netherlands.

Verghese, P. ., Safi, M. ., & Shanidze, N. . (2024). Deficits in smooth pursuit in macular degeneration impact dynamic visual acuity. Seattle, WA, USA.

Agathos, C. P., Velisar, A. ., Young, W. R., Fletcher, D. C., & Shanidze, N. . (2024). Movement-related concerns and cognition in macular degeneration: clinical and laboratory insights. Berkeley, CA, USA.

Brown, H. D., Hoyle, E. J., Kelly, L. G., Agathos, C. P., Shanidze, N. ., & Baseler, H. A. (2024). Assessing the relationship between central visual field loss, physical activity, and cognitive function. Aberdeen, UK.

Brown, H. D., Hoyle, E. J., Kelly, L. G., Agathos, C. P., Shanidze, N. ., & Baseler, H. A. (2024). Assessing the relationship between central visual field loss, physical activity, and cognitive function. York, UK. https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.25.5.42

Mentors

Projects

Labs

  • Eye-Head Movement Laboratory
    Eye-Head Movement Laboratory
    Principal Investigator:
    Our laboratory is interested in how changes in visual and/or vestibular function affect eye/head coordination, balance, and mobility, particularly in aging. We are currently pursuing two main lines of research:...
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Centers

  • Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center
    Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center
    The Center's research goal is to develop and apply new scientific knowledge and practical, cost-effective devices to better understand and address the real-world problems of blind, visually impaired, and deaf-blind...
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Collaborators

Trainees