Visual Perception, Eye Movements and Attention

Humans operate in a visually complex world.  Although vision appears to come effortlessly to us, it actually relies on a finely orchestrated interplay between sensory processing, the control of motor behavior, and the allocation of attentional resources.  The overarching goal of my research is to understand how this interplay unfolds enabling visual perception in humans. To this end, my laboratory uses a variety of techniques, including precise eye- and head-tracking, visual psychophysics, and gaze-contingent manipulation of retinal stimulation.  I am particularly interested in visual functions within the foveola, a small high-acuity region of the retina (approximately the size of the index’s fingernail at arm’s length) that humans use to inspect objects of interest. This region is essential for normal operation, yet surprisingly little is known about its mechanisms.  Research in my laboratory mainly focuses on how foveal processes cooperate with microscopic eye movements and with the precise control of attention to enable fine spatial vision.