OUR RESEARCH PROJECTS
In total 15 individual research projects will run, yet they are all collaborative in one way or the other. Project collaborations are summarised in three different
Work Packages, that in are turn are linked and complementary. We offer projects that focus on gaining new
INSIGHTS, on designing new
SOLUTIONS and on the
APPLICATION of the new solutions. You can read the project summaries below. Want to know more? Click on the project titles to go to the individual project pages, where the project will be described in more detail. During the course of the program, the fifteen individual projects pages will be updated regularly.
Projects with a focus on gaining new INSIGHTS will identify and quantify the aspects of vision that are critical for successful interaction with the environment. This will inform us about those aspects of vision that need to be tested, trained or augmented to improve daily life abilities of vision-impaired individuals.
Host: University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
Primary Supervisor: Frans W. Cornelissen
While we understand quite well how vision impairment impacts performance in relatively simple laboratory vision tasks (e.g. visual search), we still cannot predict performance in more complex dynamic situations, including daily activities such as crossing a road, sports, or riding a bike. We are now at an exciting moment in time, where new solutions to solve this problem have become available due to recent developments in artificial intelligence, virtual- and augmented reality, and eye-tracking. The aim of this project is to use such techniques to identify (new) behavioral biomarkers that are predictive of daily life functional vision. You will join the Visual Neuroscience group of the Laboratory of Experimental Ophthalmology of the University Medical Center Groningen. Our ideal candidate is interested in answering fundamental and applied questions in vision science and in using both tried-and-trusted as well as modern technology to make a difference for (visually impaired) patients.
Gaze-based evaluation of functional vision in activities of daily living (Project 3)
Host: Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Primary Supervisor: Eli Brenner
In this project you will use modern eye tracking and image processing tools to evaluate where people direct their gaze when performing everyday tasks. Much of the work will consist of developing methods to evaluate where people with normal vision direct their gaze when performing various everyday actions in natural, ever-changing environments. You will then use this to examine how gaze differs when people with visual impairments perform similar actions (in collaboration with experts on low vision), with an emphasis on evaluating how they compensate for visual deficiencies by adjusting their gaze. We are looking for someone who has an interest in studying human (gaze) behaviour and who enjoys developing software to analyse data. Some experience in programming, ideally in Python, Matlab or C/C++, is required.
Behavioral and gaze-data analysis with deep learning neural networks (Project 4)
Host: Pattern Recognition Company, Germany
Primary Supervisor: Erhardt Barth
The key mission of the OptiVisT project is to enhance the societal participation of individuals with vision impairment through innovative and inclusive care. To achieve this, the industrial partner PRC (Pattern Recognition Company GmbH Lübeck, Germany) will provide expert knowledge of machine learning, perform a comprehensive evaluation of different deep-learning approaches, and develop a machine-learning toolbox that can be used to discover diagnostic or rehabilitation relevance in the data. PRC is an ideal host for somebody keen to acquire relevant experience in machine learning in an industrial and academic context. Besides being employed by PRC, the ESR will be enrolled in a PhD Program at the University of Lübeck. We are looking for a candidate with a technical background (Master in Computer Science, Engineering, or Physics) who is keen to acquire and apply expertise in machine learning. Experience with Phyton, Linux, or C++ would be beneficial.
Assessment of functional vision for daily life locomotion and navigation using Virtual Reality (Project 7)
Host: Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany
Primary Supervisor: Michael B. Hoffmann
Although mobility can be critically affected in patients with eye diseases, tools to determine the effect of visual impairment on functional vision during daily locomotion are lacking. This project, pursued by the Visual Processing Laboratory of the Ophthalmic Department of the Otto-von-Guericke University (Magdeburg, Germany) under the supervision of Prof. M.B. Hoffmann, aims to develop, validate and apply approaches for novel visual function testing via during navigation tasks in an immersive virtual reality (VR) environment to establish a link of locomotion abilities to visual impairment. Candidates with a background in vision science, neuroscience, neuroimaging, experimental psychology, ophthalmology, biology, physiology, physics, or related areas are invited to apply. The successful applicant is exceptionally motivated to pursue a career in neuroscience, has strong programming skills (e.g. R, Python, MatLab) and experience in quantitative neuroscience and systematic data-acquisition. We offer soft-skills and project-specific expert training including immersive VR, pathology-related function testing in ophthalmology, and vision science.
Projects with a focus on designing new SOLUTIONS will apply our fundamental insights into functional vision to create tools for testing functional vision in 1) adults, 2) children and 3) tools for training and augmenting functional vision.
Visually Evoked Potential based assessment of functional vision via natural stimulus perception (Project 2)
Host: Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg, Germany
Primary Supervisor: Michael B. Hoffmann
During clinical routine, impairment in object recognition is traditionally quantified by visual acuity assessments. This has the critical disadvantage of employing less-engaging stimuli and the reliance on subjective responses. In this project, pursued by the Visual Processing Laboratory of the Ophthalmic Department of the Otto-von-Guericke University (Magdeburg, Germany) under the supervision of Prof. M.B. Hoffmann, visual evoked potential signatures of endogenous attention will be used to quantify functional vision abilities in children with an innovative objective approach employing natural stimuli for low demand visual function testing.
Candidates with a background in vision science, neuroscience, experimental psychology, ophthalmology, biology, physics, or related areas are invited to apply. The successful applicant is exceptionally motivated to pursue a career in neuroscience, has strong programming skills (e.g. Python, PsychoPy, R, MatLab) and experience in quantitative neuroscience and systematic data-acquisition. We offer soft-skills and project-specific expert training including non-invasive electrophysiology, children testing, and pathology-related function testing in ophthalmology.
Host: University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
Primary Supervisor: Nomdo Jansonius
In clinical ophthalmology, visual function is primarily quantified with visual acuity and visual field measurements performed under standardized conditions. Albeit very useful for disease management, these quantities neither predict accurately functional vision in activities of daily living nor represent the strongest disease signal. The project focuses around the eye disease glaucoma, a disease with visual field loss as its hallmark but with a plethora of unexplained visual complaints and/or visual function deficits. Aim of the project is to link visual complaints and related task performance to quantifiable visual function deficits. Visual complaints will be assessed with extensive questionnaires; a wide range of visual functions will be measured with sophisticated psychophysics performed under various conditions. The candidate will be located in the UMCG; its Department of Ophthalmology includes a large, tertiary glaucoma referral center. We are looking for a candidate with interest/knowledge in physiology, especially of the visual system, clinical care, physics, mathematics, and programming.
Predicting functional vision via multi-sensory interactions (Project 6)
Host: Italian Institute of Technology, Italy.
Primary Supervisor: Monica Gori
Augmented Reality games for assessing and training functional vision and visual cognition (Project 8)
Host: University Medical Center Groningen, the Netherlands.
Primary Supervisors: Frans W. Cornelissen and Sara Fabbri
In everyday life, we mostly perceive objects in order to interact with them, for example to grasp them or to avoiding them as obstacles. However, the large majority of the tests investigating visuospatial abilities use 2D paper-pencil tests, limiting the applicability of these results to real-world scenarios. This project aims at designing more ecologically-valid tests of visual abilities using Augmented Reality (AR). The studies will measure object perception using eye and motion tracking on healthy adults and children. Candidates with a background in vision science, movement science, experimental psychology, ophthalmology, or related areas will be considered. The successful candidate is very interested in object perception and is motivated to master programming languages such as Matlab and Phyton.
Using Virtual and Augmented Reality-based tests of functional vision to understand patients’ real-world difficulties (Project 9)
Host: CITY University London, UK
Primary Supervisor: David Crabb
People with eye conditions like macular disease and glaucoma have missing parts (scotoma) in their vision; these vary in size/severity/location depending on stage of disease. This project aims to find out how people cope with activities of daily living (ADL) if they have scotoma by using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) experiments.. We will use VR/AR experiments to identify specific associations between different types of scotoma and ADL. We will also conduct experiments in patients to determine difficulties with ADL in different lighting conditions and other mobility scenarios. Candidate: Training/qualification in experimental psychology or human based performance would be ideal or a background in vision science, ophthalmology, biology, physiology or related areas. Detailed knowledge about vision or eyes are not required, but a desire to work very hard on a person-based study is essential.
Augmenting functional vision using automated tactile guidance (Project 10)
Host: FeelSpace, Germany
Primary Supervisor: Peter König and Silke Kärcher
In the near future, self-driving cars will roam our streets. There is a vast potential to use the underlying software technologies – methods from computational object recognition, machine learning and robotics – to achieve individualised digital assistance for everyone. In this project, a cooperation of feelSpace GmbH and the University of Osnabrück under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Peter König, we aim at building a digital personal assistant that integrates environmental cues, camera-based and IR sensor-based, with cloud-based computational knowledge, to offer the individual user situationally adapted assistance in real-time. Such a system will prove especially beneficial for those with mild to severe impairments. Candidates with a background in machine learning, camera-based object recognition and robotics with strong programming skills are invited to apply. You can do your PhD in an environment that is bridging the gap between theoretical and applied science: The combination of feelSpace GmbH/University of Osnabrück offers the rare chance to collect valuable working experience in a highly innovative company where you are part of a motivated and curious team, while at the same time having all benefits of academic study available to you from the excellent Cognitive Science program of the University of Osnabrück.
Projects with a focus on APPLICATIONS will use our new tools to improve professional decision-making in three different fields: medical diagnosis, rehabilitation and athlete classification.
Examining eye-movements made during activities of daily living for screening and rehabilitation of functional vision (Project 11)
Host: CITY University London, UK
Primary Supervisor: David Crabb
A whole series of visual and neurological processes combine to allocate gaze (where you look). This project aims to build tests of vision to see if gaze and eye movements are disrupted in macular disease and glaucoma. The project aims to build vision tests to be incorporated into everyday activities, like watching a movie or using a mobile device. Candidate: If you are a psychologist or interested in human performance, then we can build lab experiments using eye tracking and gaze contingent displays or test large numbers of people in clinics. If your passion is coding or software engineering then you can help us refine our technology for use on mobile devices. Detailed knowledge about vision or eyes are not required, but a desire to work very hard on a person-based study or a motivation to code/build technology is essential.
Classification of sports-related functional vision (Project 12)
Host: International Paralympic Committee, Germany.
Primary Supervisor: David Mann
Assessment and training of functional vision in rehabilitation using Virtual Reality (Project 13)
Host: Royal Dutch Visio, the Netherlands.
Primary Supervisor: Gera de Haan
Techniques such as Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality and Eye Tracking enable new applications in rehabilitation for visual disorders. In particular, these techniques can contribute to training purposes, for example by providing save, standardized and adaptive exercises, or by providing objective ways to measure training progress. This project aims to improve the use of these techniques in rehabilitation of visual disorders after acquired brain injury, by focusing on the technical requirements for rehabilitation purposes, or by examining the use and outcomes of new applications in a rehabilitation setting. We are looking for someone who is interested in performing clinically related research, and in particular, in the use of technical applications for visual rehabilitation purposes. You have a background in experimental psychology, neuropsychology, health sciences, neuroscience, ophthalmology, artificial intelligence, or related areas. Experience with developing Virtual Reality environments, eye tracking analyses or rehabilitation is a plus.
Functional vision assessment of children with Cerebral Visual Impairment (Project 14)
Host: Royal Dutch Visio, the Netherlands.
Primary Supervisor: Nienke Boonstra
CVI affects approximately 4 out of every 1000 life born infants. Children with CVI show a delay in cognitive development and in speech, they have slow reactions in test situations, and they may have cerebral palsy and a delay of motor development. In these children, a normal ophthalmological examination is difficult. In de guidelines for referral in CVI visual function measurements, needed in order to obtain the diagnosis, are mentioned such as methods to study fixation and saccades, accommodation, crowding, loss of contrast, visual field, OCT and retinoscopy. However, how can we align these methods with the developmental age of the child with CVI? The coupling of the outcome of clinical measures with the moment and sort of etiological damage and with the description of CVI subgroups will possibly clarify their combination of complaints and improve their visual function assessment.
Functional vision screening in children recovering from Central Nervous System tumors (Project 15)
Host: Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Primary Supervisors: Miriam Kolko, René Mathiasen, and Sarah Linea von Holstein
Visual field defects may be the first sign of serious eye or central nervous system (CNS) disease, but visual field testing in young children is often unreliable and new methods are needed. The use of eye-tracking for the Standardized Oculomotor and Neurological Disorders Assessment (SONDA) paradigm evaluates the visual field in addition to several spatio-temporal properties of eye movements without active participation of the patient and as such holds promise for use in children. This study aims to evaluate and validate SONDA in children and to investigate the method as a way to identify deviating ocular motor in children with CNS tumors. The research takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark as a collaboration between the Department of Ophthalmology and the Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine at the Copenhagen University Hospital, Rigshospitalet. The candidate we are looking for has a medical background, good communication skills and the desire to work with children.
OPTIVIST
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 955590
STARTING DATE: 01/03/2021
COMPLETION DATE: 28/02/2025