The Laboratory of Vision Research (LVR), directed by Dr. Thomas Papathomas, is located at the Rutgers Center for Cognitive Science. It was founded by Bela Julesz in 1989, with three major objectives:

  1. To conduct advanced interdisciplinary research in vision by engaging undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers
  2. To offer undergraduate and graduate courses in visual perception and related areas
  3. To serve as a consulting body to local and global institutions and a link to science journalists.

Research is focused on early vision, such as texture, stereoscopic depth, and motion perception, as well as the role of cognitive processes in perception. Of particular interest are the interactions of data-driven signals from the eyes and schema-driven processes that are based on previous experiences and cognitive processes. We study how humans perceive three-dimensional (3-D) objects, scenes, and faces. Researchers at LVR use real 3-D volumetric illusions and virtual-reality stimuli to examine these interactions. 

Since 2009, we've  collaborating with Dr. Steven Silverstein to study perceptual differences between healthy controls and schizophrenia patients with the goal of identifying biomarkers for differentiating schizophrenia from other serious mental disorders (e.g., bipolar disorder) and for predicting relapse and recovery.

 

RUTGERS University
152 Frelinghuysen Rd
Psychology Bldg.Annex
Busch Campus, Room 118
Piscataway, NJ 08854 USA
Tel: (848) 445-6533
Fax: (732) 445-6715