2017 Eye Movements Gordon Research Conference and Gordon Research Seminar

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PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Eye movements are critical for vision and provide information about cognitive state. The study of eye movements therefore contributes to diverse fields of research on the brain and mind. Consequences of oculomotor impairment range from blindness and low vision to more subtle but pernicious disruptions in the ability to read, interact socially, or move safely through the world. Elucidating the neural basis of oculomotor control thus contributes, as well, to reducing the public health burden. One way to enhance and accelerate eye movement research and its clinical benefits is to provide opportunities for productive, face-to-face discussions between researchers. The goal of this proposal is to assemble both early-career and established investigators of oculomotor and related systems for the dual purpose of assessing the current state of the field and for mapping its future direction. The Gordon Research Conference (GRC) format is renowned for promoting meaningful and productive interactions by creating an environment that is at once informal and intensely focused on the very latest, cutting-edge research in the field. The proposed 2017 GRC on Eye Movements, entitled “The Oculomotor System as a Model of Mind and Brain,” will reveal fresh perspectives on core and emerging issues related to oculomotor control. An associated pre-meeting, the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), is designed to promote the careers of trainees in the field. The program for the 2017 GRC on Eye Movements will include the following scientific sessions: “Saccades and Visual Cognition,” examining how saccadic eye movements can probe a host of cognitive states; “Pursuit”, covering recent advances in the neurophysiology and modeling of smooth pursuit; “Reading and Scene Perception”, assessing how eye movements and cognition interact to evaluate complex visual stimuli including the written word and natural images; “Eye Movements and Social Cognition,” exploring the role of gaze shifts in mediating and revealing social interactions; “Transition from Response Time to Saccade”, debating the still-perplexing length and stochasticity of reaction times for making saccades; “Eye Movements and Attention”, presenting the latest insights into the relationship between overt looking and covert assessment of a scene; “Guidance of Eye Movements by Value and Reward,” seeking to establish value-based principles of saccadic decisions; and “Gaze Stabilization and the Skeletomotor System,” linking eye movements to the big picture of whole-body behavior. The 2017 GRC on Eye Movements is therefore planned to be broad in scope but deep in specifics. The outcome will be to disseminate the latest knowledge, foster novel collaborative efforts, and advance the careers of future oculomotorists, all in the service of enhancing the impact of oculomotor research.