School of Biosciences

Research Overview

We study the mechanisms of normal development of the primary visual cortex and the physiological and molecular basis of common developmental disorders of vision such as strabismus (squint) and amblyopia (lazy eye). Specifically, we examine the effects of various eye patching regimens on visual acuity in the two eyes. This knowledge will be of benefit to the management of patients, especially children, who have to wear an eye patch. Second, we investigate the molecular basis of visual cortex plasticity. We are particularly interested in expression of the NMDA receptor and the large number of other molecules that associate with it. Finally, we are working on ways to re-instate cortical plasticity after the end of the critical period, with the long term aim of developing a method for treating amblyopia in adulthood. We employ behavioural tests of visual acuity, functional brain imaging (optical imaging of intrinsic signals and voltage sensitive dye imaging) as well as proteomic analysis of cortical tissue.

Research Group

Neuroscience