Verghese Lab

Verghese Lab

Our laboratory studies the mechanisms of healthy vision and action, as well as the basis of attention and visual adaptation in clinical populations.

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Publications

Journal Articles

Verghese, P. (2023). The utility of peripheral stereopsis. Frontiers In Neuroscience. (Original work published 2023)
Verghese, P., Nyström, M., Foulsham, T., & McGraw, P. (2023). Eye Movements in Visual Impairment. Vision Research.
Vullings, C., Lively, Z., & Verghese, P. (2022). Saccades during visual search in macular degeneration. Vision Research, 201. 10.1016/j.visres.2022.108113 (Original work published 2022)
Verghese, P., Ghahghaei, S., & Lively, Z. (2022). Mapping residual stereopsis in macular degeneration. Journal Of Vision, 22(13). (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)
Hou, C., Tyson, T. L., Uner, I. J., Nicholas, S. C., & Verghese, P. (2021). Excitatory Contribution to Binocular Interactions in Human Visual Cortex is Reduced in Strabismic Amblyopia. Journal Of Neuroscience. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0268-21.2021 (Original work published 2021)
Vullings, C., & Verghese, P. (2021). Mapping the binocular scotoma in macular degeneration. Journal Of Vision, 21(3), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1167/jov.21.3.9 (Original work published 2021)
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)
Verghese, P., & Ghahghaei, S. (2020). Predicting stereopsis in macular degeneration. Journal Of Neuroscience. 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0491-20.2020 (Original work published 2020)
Hou, C., Nicholas, S. C., & Verghese, P. (2020). Contrast Normalization Accounts for Binocular Interactions in Human Striate and Extra-striate Visual Cortex. Journal Of Neuroscience, 40(13), 2753-2763. (Original work published 2020)

Presentations/Posters

Shanidze, N., Lively, Z., Lee, R., Velisar, A., & Verghese, P. (2021). Saccades during smooth pursuit in macular degeneration. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Vol. 62, pp. 3547–3547. (Original work published 2021)
Safi, M., Verghese, P., & Shanidze, N. (2020). Effects of task demands on smooth pursuit gain in macular degeneration. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Vol. 61. Canceled due to COVID: Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology Annual Meeting. (Original work published 2020)
Vullings, C., & Verghese, P. (2019). Mapping the binocular scotoma in macular degeneration. Bay Area Vision Research Day. (Original work published 2019)
Vullings, C., & Verghese, P. (2019). Binocular scotoma mapping and eye movement patterns in central field loss. Gordon Research Conference On Eye Movements. Lewiston, USA. (Original work published 2019)
Shanidze, N., & Verghese, P. (2019). Motion Perception in Central Field Loss: Visual Field Contributions. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. Vancouver B.C.: ARVO. (Original work published 2019)
Shanidze, N., & Verghese, P. (2018). Motion Perception in Central Field Loss.
Shanidze, N., Ullman, E., Badler, J. B., & Verghese, P. (2018). Interaction of Eye and Head Movements during Smooth Pursuit in Macular Degeneration. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.
Shanidze, N., Heinen, S. J., & Verghese, P. (2016). Gaze Changes from Binocular to Monocular Viewing during Smooth Pursuit in Macular Degeneration. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, Vol. 57, pp. 4590–4590.
Shanidze, N., Heinen, S. J., & Verghese, P. (2016). Relative Eye Position During Monocular and Binocular Pursuit in Central Field Loss.
Shanidze, N., Heinen, S. J., & Verghese, P. (2016). Do we foveate targets during smooth pursuit?.

Projects

Active

Tracking a target in depth with central field loss

Bilateral field loss due to maculopathy creates a scotoma that extends in depth — a volume scotoma. Morevoer the size of the scotoma depends on whether observers turn their eyes to track a target as it comes closer. This project investigates how the volume scotoma affects the ability to track oncoming targets in these individuals, and in controls with a simulated volume scotoma.

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.  

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.

Motion Perception in Central Field Loss

The project investigates motion perception in individuals with vision loss due to central retinal lesion, but who retain healthy peripheral retina. Healthy peripheral retina is exquisitely sensitive to fast speeds, however, there is limited and conflicting information about motion processing in residual peripheral retina in patients with central field loss, often due to macular degeneration. We use psychophysical and eye tracking approaches to systematically probe speed and direction sensitivity in this  population. 

Characteristics of Smooth Pursuit in Individuals with Central Field Loss

This project investigates the properties of smooth pursuit eye movements in individuals with macular degeneration. Commonly believed to be a fovea-linked eye movement, smooth pursuit has not been previously investigated in individuals with central field loss, despite its importance for tracking moving objects, such as vehicles or pedestrians on a busy street.

Novel Method to Teach Scotoma Awareness

This project aims to improve visual function in individuals with age-related macular degeneration (AMD). AMD isassociated with central field loss that cannot be corrected optically. Individuals with AMD are often unaware of their scotoma and their eye movements follow more random patterns, compared to adults with healthy vision. With funding from the National Institutes of Health and Pacific Vision Foundation, we are training indviduals with AMD to direct their eye movements into their scotoma, so that they can sample missing information.

 

Centers

Collaborators

Internal

Photo of James Coughlan wearing glasses and blue shirt

James Coughlan

Senior Scientist
Director: Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center

External

Dennis M. Levi

Professor of Optometry and Vision Science
University of Berkeley, School of Optometry

News

SKERI Receives Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) grant on Blindness and Low Vision

Smith-Kettlewell is proud to announce the newly awarded Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) grant on Blindness and Low Vision. This is a five-year grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research, establishing Smith-Kettlewell as a center promoting the independence and well-being of people with visual impairments through research and development to improve the understanding of, and provide solutions for, challenges facing the blind and low-vision community.

Preeti Verghese Awarded NEI Grant for Amblyopia

SKERI's Senior Scientist, Dr. Preeti Verghese - in collaboration with Drs Suzanne McKee of Smith-Kettlewell and Dr. Dennis Levi of Berkeley's Herbert Wertheim School of Optometry & Vision Science - was awarded a 5-year NIH Research Project Grant (R01) from the National Eye Institute to study the potential for residual stereopsis in those with strabismus and amblyopia.

Dr. Preeti Verghese Awarded NEI Grant

Congratulations to Senior Scientist, Preeti Verghese, Ph.D.,  who was awarded a four-year grant from the National Eye Institute to study ways of assisting patients with age-related macular disease (AMD) in the performance of real-world tasks. Dr. Verghese’s research lab examines the neural processes, strategies, and adaptations that humans use to interact with objects in the real world and apply these to visual adaptations in clinical populations.

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