[visionlist] 2012 OSA Vision Meeting - Call for Abstracts

[Carroll, Joseph]

We are pleased to announce the 12th Annual Optical Society of America Vision Meeting, scheduled to take place at the University of Rochester, September 14-16, 2012.

Since 2001, the OSA Fall Vision Meeting has grown as a high-quality, low-cost conference focused on all aspects of the visual system. This year, we return to the University of Rochester and the Center for Visual Science, who are graciously hosting the meeting for the 5th time.

This year's meeting includes several invited sessions, two contributed talk sessions, and a variety of contributed poster presentations. The confirmed program of invited speakers is listed below.  We are also pleased to present the 2012 Tillyer Award to Professor Gerald H. Jacobs from the University of California - Santa Barbara in recognition of his contributions to fundamental understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying color vision and for pioneering comparative studies which have revealed the nature, variations, and evolution of primate color vision.  The Tillyer Award was established in 1953 through an endowment from the American Optical Co. It is presented not more than once every two years to a person who has performed distinguished work in the field of vision, including (but not limited to) the optics, physiology, anatomy or psychology of the visual system. There will be a lecture by Dr. Jacobs followed by a banquet in his honor on September 15th at the Rochester Museum & Science Center.

Abstract submission is now open (http://www.cvs.rochester.edu/fvm_2012/registration.html)  Please note the abstract submission deadline will be July 1, 2012.  Registration is also open, with an early-bird registration deadline of August 1, 2012.  Please watch (http://www.cvs.rochester.edu/fvm_2012/index.html) for details.

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Interpreting high-resolution images of the living retina
The advent of new in-vivo high resolution imaging technologies has led to exciting new observations about the relationship between structure and function in the human retina. This session will cover new understanding and interpretation being acquired in normal and diseased eyes at resolutions beyond those of conventional instrumentation.

Moderator: Stephen Burns, Indiana University
Confirmed Speakers:
David Williams, University of Rochester
Donald Miller, Indiana University
Christine Curcio, University of Alabama, Birmingham
Francesca Cordeiro, University College London


Color and the statistical structure of natural images
It is well accepted that biological visual processing is shaped by the statistical structure of the natural environment. In recent years this broad idea has received increased attention as our understanding of image statistics has improved, and has also led to a more informed approach to computer image analysis. This session will focus on the application of these ideas to the area of color vision, with talks that draw from the study of human vision, the study of image analysis, and the study of color image statistics.

Moderator: David Knill, University of Rochester
Confirmed Speakers:
David Foster, University of Manchester
William Geisler, University of Texas, Austin
Michael Webster, University of Nevada, Reno
Todd Zickler, Harvard University


Controlling the motion of attention
Under normal circumstances, the eyes scan the visual environment seemingly automatically, in order to bring the images of objects of interest to the fovea. It has been suggested that the map that determines where the eyes go next is one and the same as the map of attention. But under unnatural laboratory conditions, it is possible to dissociate attention and eye movements. Attention may be directed to the periphery while eye movements are voluntarily inhibited (covert attention); eye movements can be directed to a location other than the most salient location (the anti-saccade task); in multiple object tracking, the nature of the task makes it impossible to fixate all of the locations that must be attended; and results from change blindness demonstrate that where the eyes are pointing can be dissociated from what information is taken in. The speakers in this symposium explore the relations between attention and eye movements, and possible mechanisms for their control.

Moderator: Tania Pasternak, University of Rochester
Confirmed Speakers:
Mary Hayhoe, University of Texas, Austin
Steve Heinen, The Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
James Brockmole, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
TBD


3D displays and perception
3D technology is being incorporated into movies, televisions and personal electronics. What are the technical issues behind crafting content for a human 3D experience? How does our visual system interpret and respond to images created with 3D technology? Our speakers will explore this topic with an emphasis on the science behind human stereoscopic perception.

Moderator: Laurie Wilcox, York University
Confirmed Speakers:
Martin Banks, University of California, Berkeley
Jenny Read, Newcastle University
Inna Tsirlin, York University
Paul Taylor, Stereographer/filmmaker


Dysfunction of the visual system in neurodegenerative conditions
Several neurodegenerative diseases impact visual function. Targeted assessment of the visual system may therefore reveal alterations that contribute uniquely to earlier detection and better understanding of these conditions. This session will explore how structural and functional observations have improved our knowledge of neurodegenerative disease processes, with a focus on multiple sclerosis and optic neuritis.

Moderator: Ari Green, University of California, San Francisco
Confirmed Speakers:
Steve Feldon, University of Rochester
Randy Kardon, University of Iowa
Laura Frishman, University of Houston
Netta Levin, Hadassah University Hospital, Israel


Signal suppression: mechanisms and functional roles
Signal suppression via divisive inhibition is ubiquitous in visual processing (and appears to be present in other parts of the brain as well), consistently providing good accounts for a wide range of psychophysical and neurophysiological data. Familiar examples are found in contrast gain control and other adaptation phenomena. This symposium aims to draw together different views and perspectives on these topics from neurophysiology, psychophysics and brain imaging.

Moderator: TBD
Confirmed Speakers:
Michael Rudd, University of Washington
C.C. Chen, National Taiwan University
Tim Meese, Aston University
TBD


***Also note that there will be a number of excellent vision-related sessions at the OSA's Annual Meeting, Frontiers in Optics, also held in Rochester (October 14-18, 2012).  Any OSA member who registers for the OSA Vision Meeting can register for 1 day of the Annual Meeting for free.  Sessions at the Annual Meeting will include: Understanding the developing and aging visual systems, The impact of chromatic aberration on the visual system,  High-resolution imaging of the living cornea, and Adaptive optics for vision and imaging.  See http://www.frontiersinoptics.com/ for more information.***

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We look forward to seeing you in the Fall!

Joseph Carroll (Chair, OSA Vision and Color Division)
Jennifer Hunter (Rochester 2012 Local Organizing Committee)
Krystel Huxlin (Rochester 2012 Local Organizing Committee)
Duje Tadin (Rochester 2012 Local Organizing Committee)
David Williams (Rochester 2012 Local Organizing Committee)
Michele Schultz (Rochester 2012 Local Organizing Committee)
Sara Peterson (Rochester 2012 Local Organizing Committee)