Centre for Behaviour and Evolution

Staff Profile

Professor Jenny Read

Professor of Vision Science

Background

Introduction

I am interested in the neuronal basis of perception, particularly in stereo "3D" vision in both humans and praying mantises. My work ranges from fundamental science to clinical and industrial applications. Please visit my own website, jennyreadresearch.com. to find out more about my work and download PDFs of my publications.

Roles and Responsibilities

Neuroscience lead on Faculty of Medical Sciences Research Strategy Committee's Impact Working Group

REF coordinator for Unit of Assessment 4

Chair of Psychology human ethics committee.

First aider for Henry Wellcome Building. 

Qualifications

B.A. in Physics (1st class), Oxon.
D.Phil. in Theoretical Astrophysics, Oxon.
M.Sc. in Neuroscience (with distinction), Oxon.
Graduate diploma in Psychology (with distinction), Newcastle. 

Research

Research Interests

My central research interest is binocular vision and the perception of 3D stereo depth. I'm interested in what happens in our brain when images from the two eyes are combined and compared so as to give this depth percept. I construct mathematical models of the neuronal computations which support this process, and carry out detailed measurements of human perceptions in order to test these models and relate them more closely to what is known about brain physiology. I'm increasingly using this expertise to look at how today's new 3D displays can be used so as to improve viewer experience. I'm also interested in how visual perception can be altered in various clinical conditions, for example strabismus (often known as squint in the UK) and epilepsy.

My research has been supported by the Royal Society, the Leverhulme Trust, the Wellcome Trust, Epilepsy Action, the NHS, Department of Health and the Medical Research Council. For much more information on my research, please visit my own website, jennyreadresearch.com .

Current projects

I'm currently leading two major research programmes. "Man, Mantis, and Machine" examines 3D vision in an insect, the praying mantis. Learning more about vision in this simple organism may help us design better 3D vision for robots, and may also help us understand our own more complex abilities. This programme is funded by a Research Leadership Award from the Leverhulme Trust. "ASTEROID", or "Accurate STEReotest On a mobIle Device", aims to develop a new clinical vision test for use in children with binocular vision disorders.

Other projects include: other aspects of insect vision; mathematical models of disparity encoding in primary visual cortex; development of stereo vision; visual surround suppression; depth perception in 3D television and cinema; EEG measures of brain activity during stereopsis. 



Teaching

I am a lecturer on course PSC3008, Physiology of the Nervous System, for students on Biomedical sciences and Physiology degree programmes. I offer research projects for undergraduate and Masters students; details of previous students who have worked on with me are available on my website: undergraduate-students and Masters students.

 

Publications