Current Lab members


Primary Investigator

Kristina Visscher, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Neurobiology
kmv@uab.edu

Kristina-Visscher

The work in my lab at UAB has integrated my previous work examining the neural basis of cognitive control (using functional magnetic resonance imaging, fMRI) and my work examining how sensory representations are influenced by context (using behavioral/psychophysics methods, as well as the neuroimaging methods EEG and fMRI). My research interest is to understand how cognitive control mechanisms affect sensory processing, and how this cognitive control is modified by experience.


Postdoctoral Scholars

Pinar Demirayak, Ph.D.
pinarde@uab.edu

My research area focuses on the extent of brain plasticity in individuals with severe vision impairments. My recent work examines experience-based brain plasticity especially in older populations with low vision. By using MRI I investigate cortical activity following deafferentation from retinal input as well as cortical layer-specific dynamics of the visual system.


Graduate Students

Elam Cutts
GBS Program
ecutts99@uab.edu

I am interested in researching the neural mechanisms of compensation in response to central vision loss. I investigate these processes using behavioral assessments as well as MRI.

Swetha Ravichandran
Vision Science Graduate Program
swetha30@uab.edu

My research interest is to understand the brain’s intricate network and its integration with the eye, which allows for studying the eye as a projection of the brain. I’m currently working on understanding the ocular and cerebral biomarkers that could aid in diagnosing preclinical neurological conditions.


Lab Manager

Rachel Chua
r2chel@uab.edu

I am interested in studying the behavioral and neurological changes in individuals with macular degeneration. To do this, I use fMRI to investigate functional connectivity in central vision loss and examine the differences in plastic changes in individuals with this condition.


Research Assistants

Paul Stewart
pstew@uab.edu


Undergraduate Research Assistants

Vuga Parpura
vuga@uab.edu


Previous Members

Wes Burge
Kelli Cannon
Christine Denning
Brody DeSilva
Abdurahman Elkhetali
Joe Griffis
Jarrod Hicks
Stephen Layfield
David Lee
Sarah McGhee
William Mitchell
Rodolphe Nenert
Megan O’Malley
Utkarsh Pandey
Sean Pool
Ryan Vaden
Jessica Wright
Mandy Biles
Ishant Yadav
Saikrishna Sriraman
Matt Defenderfer
Leland Fleming
Sara Sims
Jason Vice