Grant: Operating Grant - PA: INMHA (bridge funding)

When visual stimuli of a constant size are moved into the visual periphery, our ability to resolve their details declines with increasing distance from the fovea (eccentricity). There are both theoretical and practical reasons for studying changes in visual sensitivity across the visual field. From a practical point of view, it is critical to understand the range of computations that can be performed in the visual periphery to inform rehabilitation programs that address the devastating effects of diseases such as macular degeneration. From a theoretical point of view, there has been a longstanding interest in quantifying changes in sensitivity across the visual field in order to understand the mechanisms that support various perceptual abilities. We will undertake three related programmes of study (i) to assess and characterize eccentricity dependent changes in visual function, (ii) to assess the role of attention in eccentricity dependent sensitivity loss, and (iii) to study the limits of peripheral vision using simulated scotomas of various sorts.