Program

OPTICA FALL VISION MEETING 

September 24-27, 2026

Hosted by the Center for Visual Science at the University of Rochester 

Invited Session I: Optoretinography

Optical imaging of activity in the living eye offers a promising alternative to the electroretinogram that is capable of linking retinal function to structural information. The imaging modalities being explored are largely label free and often provide data on the cellular scale. This session will highlight new advances in optoretinography ranging from the origin of functional signals, to new technical developments and applications on the path to clinical translation.

Confirmed Speakers

• Ram Sabesan, University of Washington

• Pedro Mecê, Institut Langevin, Paris

• Jessica Morgan, University of Pennsylvania

• Lawrence Sincich, The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Invited Session II: Chromatic mechanisms in myopia

Emerging evidence seems to support that emmetropization may be critically dependent on chromatic mechanisms, such as environmental spectral content, chromatic aberrations of the eye, and wavelength dependent retinal signaling. Topics in this session will span animal models, human clinical studies, retinal and choroidal responses to chromatic cues, and novel optical interventions for myopia control.

Confirmed Speakers

• Frances Rucker, New England College of Optometry

• Safal Khanal, The University of Alabama at Birmingham

• Geunyoung Yoon, University of Houston

• Tim Gawne, The University of Alabama at Birmingham

Invited Session III: Multisensory cue integration in real and virtual environments

Perception depends on the integration of multiple sensory cues, including visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive signals, each with different reliability across contexts. While these processes are well studied under natural viewing conditions, emerging technologies such as virtual and augmented reality introduce new spatiotemporal constraints, cue conflicts, and display limitations that challenge established models of cue integration. This session brings together work on multisensory and visual cue integration across real and simulated environments, with applications ranging from depth perception and binocular vision to navigation, memory, and clinical populations. By combining insights from basic research and display engineering, we aim to understand how the brain weights and recalibrates sensory information, and how these principles can guide the design of next-generation visual and multisensory systems.

Confirmed Speakers

• Sarah Creem-Regehr, The University of Utah

• Jennifer Campos, University Health Network

• Duje Tadin, University of Rochester

Invited Session IV: Visual development and plasticity across health and disease

Vision is shaped by development but remains plastic throughout life. Across early disorders such as cortical visual impairment and later-onset retinal and cortical damage, the visual system reorganizes in ways that may limit functional recovery. This session brings together work on typical and atypical development, neural plasticity, and behavioral outcomes. By integrating basic and translational perspectives, we aim to clarify the mechanisms that shape visual development and plasticity, and to distinguish recovery from compensation.

Confirmed Speakers

• Marcello Maniglia, Rochester Institute of Technology

• Tessa Decker, University College London

• Woon Ju Park, Georgia Institute of Technology

• Jesse Gomez, Princeton University