Scientific

Abstract – Binocular alignment and binocular coordination of eye movements are necessary to direct both foveae at targets within 3D space. Unfortunately, individuals suffering from strabismus (ocular misalignment) never develop the necessary alignment and coordination of eye movements for binocular vision. Developmental loss of sensory or motor fusion leads to strabismus in nearly 5% of children making this disease a significant public health issue. In order to develop a better understanding of this disabling disease, we have been performing studies in non-human primate models for sensory strabismus previously induced by disrupting binocular vision through the use of prisms or occluders during the developmental critical period. An excellent feature of these NHP models is that they not only develop eye misalignment but also develop common eye movement disruptions associated with the human condition. We have identified widespread changes in many visual and oculomotor neural centers, specifically vergence related areas of the brain, leading to new insight on the development and maintenance of eye misalignment and other associated strabismus properties. Our most recent work has been focused on the superior colliculus to identify its role in determining the state of eye misalignment and also as a substrate that might be involved in fixation-switch behavior. In another direction of research into strabismus, we have explored the neural plasticity that accompanies the treatment of strabismus via surgical methods with the goal of understanding how plasticity might influence the success or failure of the surgical treatment. https://www.opt.uh.edu/faculty/VDas/

In mid-March Chancellor Carol Christ announced that UC Berkeley would be locked down, on-campus research would be suspended and PIs should implement plans to operate remotely “to the greatest extent possible”.  Only critical research and COVID-19-related research activities were permitted for on-campus access, reflecting only about 10% of Berkeley’s total research efforts. In late May, the campus announced a phased research recovery plan, with the following guiding principles: Protect the health and well-being of our community. Reopen gradually using a phased approach based on building and lab density, with appropriate caution, in the context of local health conditions. Consultation and flexibility for those who do not wish to return to campus to work. Adopt a process for granting access to campus research facilities that is transparent, equitable, and fair. Research on-campus has begun to slowly ramp up, but to date, most labs are still operating remotely, and in this time of COVID-19, many have adopted creative strategies for performing remote research. This talk will share the UC Research Ramp Up Task Force’s efforts, methods, and state of the art, and highlight some of the strategies for remote vision research. https://vision.berkeley.edu/people/dennis-levi-od-phd/

Abstract – “I used to be a hyperphant and had something like HSAM [Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory]. I had a stroke in 2017, which left me with memory impairment (including SDAM [Severely Deficient Autobiographical Memory]) and aphantasia. I noticed immediately that my memories were gone, and I knew something else was wrong, but it took a while to figure out that I’d lost my mind’s eye. It’s been devastating to me. I’ve lost my job, career, and my sense of identity. – Anonymous, shared with permission The person above has first-hand experience with two extremes of human imagination. Those with hyperphantasia have highly detailed and nearly photo-realistic visual imagery, while those with aphantasia are unable to visualize at all – they have a blind mind’s eye. In this talk, I will focus on such individual differences in visual imagery and how they might – or might not – relate to other cognitive functions. https://english.hi.is/staff/heidasi

Abstract – Amblyopia (‘lazy eye’) is the most common cause of monocular vision impairment among children, affecting 2 or 3 of every 100 children. Amblyopia commonly results when there is unbalanced binocular input during visual development, associated with strabismus (eye misalignment), anisometropia (unequal refractive error), and less commonly, unilateral cataract (blurry lens). Sensory and ocular motor deficits are well-established in the amblyopia literature. However, the functional consequences of amblyopia on the developing visuocognitive and visuomotor systems are less known. My previous research shows slow reading and poor fine motor ability in amblyopic children, even when they have one eye with normal visual acuity under binocular viewing conditions. Yet, causes of these impairments remain poorly understood. My current research focuses on the underlying causes of slow reading and fine motor impairments in children with amblyopia, strabismus, and cataract by assessing eye movements during reading, and eye and hand movements during visually-guided reaching and grasping. These studies aim to determine how sensory deficits (e.g., decreased visual acuity, impaired depth perception, interocular suppression), ocular motor dysfunction (gaze instability, abnormal eye movements), and deficits in visual planning and guidance of hand movements affect reading, reaching, and grasping in amblyopic children under binocular viewing conditions. Data from these experiments will determine the consequences of abnormal visual experience during development on the visuocognitive and visuomotor systems, provide information on sensory and motor integration during maturation, and aid in determining more effective amblyopia treatments and academic accommodations that allow amblyopic children to thrive. http://retinafoundation.org/news/dr-krista-kelly/