Visual Neuroscience

Page Contents

1. Introduction
2. Aging and Degeneration of the Retina
3. Retinal Development
4. Photoreceptor Function
5. Visual Processing
6. Neuroethology and the Interface with Robotics

Humans and monkeys rely heavily on having high quality vision for their survival, and to help them adapt to their environment. The high quality of our vision depends on many factors, which include specialization of the light-sensitive retina in the back of the eye, so that distortions are minimized and details in the scene can be detected. The part of the retina that is responsible for this high quality vision is called the macula, and it is highly vulnerable to disease as we age. The work of Jan Provis' lab is aimed at identifying the factors that make the macula special, and those which make it vulnerable to degeneration.

Krisztina Valter's lab is working on cell biology-based, non-invasive therapeutic approaches to manage retinal degenerations, such as light-induced retinal degeneration. In particular, using the light-induced degenerative model to establish the role of inflammation in retinal degeneration.

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Keely Bumsted-O'Brien's lab is currently examining the development of the retina in a wide range of species including seahorses, chickens, and pigeons and comparing and contrasting them with mammalian retinae.

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Trevor Lamb's lab is currently looking at: Response recovery and adaptation in vertebrate photoreceptors; Molecular, cellular and functional differences between rod and cone photoreceptors; and the evolution of vertebrate photoreceptors and the vertebrate retina.

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Michael Ibbotson's lab is working on a broad range of topics such as: Attentional mechanisms in visual processing; the relationships between eye movement and visual processing; transduction of electrical signals generated by stimulation into biological signals as a precursor to a retinal implant; evolution of the visual areas of the brain; insect vision and cortical development.

Ted Maddess' lab is working on the higher order structure in natural images and experimental tools, such isotrigon textures, for studying human sensitivity to higher order structure.

Brendan O'Brien's lab looks at the output signals from the retina and use a powerful combination of molecular, pharmacological, physiological and anatomical techniques to dissect out how each retinal ganglion cell type 'sees' the world.

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Jan Hemmi's lab is working on the neuroethology of visual information processing by examing information processing in Fiddler crabs; color vision in marsupials; and the evolution of movement-based signals in lizards.

Jochen Zeil's lab examines: comparative vision in arthropods; vision and the organization of behaviour, the role of behaviour in visual information processing, reconstruction of visual environments; development and application of research tools for the study of the visual ecology of animals.

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