T. Rowan Candy, OD, PhD

Speaker

T. Rowan Candy, OD, PhD
Executive Associate Dean for Academic Affairs & Professor
School of Optometry, Indiana University

Date and Time

Monday, February 8, 2021
11:10 am - 12:30 pm

Location

Zoom

Rowan Candy's Abstract

Retinal image quality and alignment during human visual development

Key demonstrations of neuroplasticity during early postnatal development have used disruptions of visual experience such as imposed visual deprivation, strabismus or anisometropia. Young human infants and children must actively coordinate their own retinal image quality and alignment in order to support typical visual development, a factor determining visual experience that has received little attention. This presentation will examine the early development of this motor coordination, including the potential impact of challenging immaturities such as refractive error, reduced interpupillary distance and immature spatial vision. I will present studies demonstrating somewhat surprising maturity in the first months after birth with implications for understanding of both typical and atypical development.