Gunnar Schmidtmann
I studied medicine at the University of Lübeck from 2001 until 2005, and optometry at the Technical University of Applied Sciences Lübeck, Germany. I subsequently started postgraduate studies in Gunter Loffler’s laboratory at the Department of Vision Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University, where I investigated aspects of shape and contour perception. I continued with this line of work as a postdoctoral research fellow in Frederick Kingdom’s laboratory at the Department of Ophthalmology (McGill Vision Research Unit). In 2016, I joined the Laboratory for Integrative Neuroscience at McGill University to investigate the visual functions of patients with traumatic brain injuries (TBI), where I conducted experiments to understand the mechanisms underlying frequently described visual discomfort after TBI. Between 2017 and 2021, I have been a Lecturer in Optometry at the University of Plymouth. I am currently an Associate Professor of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Plymouth and a member of the Eye & Vision Research Group. I am also an elected member of the Applied Vision Association (AVA).
Jonathan Green (PhD student)
After graduating with a BSc in Psychology from the University of Wales, Bangor in 1998, I have enjoyed a varied ambulance service career across the South West of England since 2000, qualifying as a registered paramedic in 2004. I transitioned to a Research Paramedic role in 2015, contributing to the delivery of clinical trials including AIRWAYS-2 (https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.11597 / https://doi.org/10.29045/14784726.2020.06.5.1.26) and to the development of new research (https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-020-00616-y / https://doi.org/10.29045/14784726.2018.12.3.3.23). I graduated with an MRes in Clinical Research from the University of Southampton in 2017 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/emermed-2017-207354) and became a lecturer in Paramedic Science at the University of Plymouth in 2019. I am now undertaking a PhD studying the effects of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) on visual and vestibular functions, with a particular interest in possible clinical application.
Ifeoluwa Adeleke (Undergraduate Research Scholar - College of Optometrist 2024)
I am involved in a research project that investigates the effect of mild traumatic brain injuries on visual and vestibular functions alongside Jonathan Green. My work primarily focuses on testing elderly subjects with a variety of visual and vestibular tests. Further, I will be involved in data analysis. In order to gain insights into the development of experimental paradigms, I am currently developing an experiment to measure orientation discrimination thresholds. In addition to my research and undergraduate studies in Optometry at the University of Plymouth, I am an active member of both the Association of Optometrists (AOP) and the College of Optometrists (COO). I have also had the privilege of working with the Standards Commission of the General Optical Council (GOC), providing valuable feedback on proposed changes to the standards for optometrists, optical businesses, and student optometrists as part of a focus group.
Alumni
Hatem Barhoom (PhD student: 2018 - 2023 ) - Now postdoctoral associate with David Williams at the Advanced Retinal Imaging Alliance ARIA at the University of Rochester, USA
Thesis: Investigating letter identification for visual acuity measurements in the paracentral visual field
Georgeson, M. A., Barhoom, H., Joshi, M. R., Artes, P. H., & Schmidtmann, G. (2023). Revealing the influence of bias in a letter acuity identification task: A noisy template model. Vision Research, 208, 108233. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.visres.2023.108233 [PDF]
Barhoom, H., Artes, P. H., Joshi, M. R., & Schmidtmann, G. (2023). Acuity perimetry with speech input for mapping macular visual field in glaucoma. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 64(8), 5494-5494. ARVO 2023, New Orleans [POSTER]
Barhoom, H., Schmidtmann, G., Joshi, M. R., Artes, P. H., & Georgeson, M. A. (2022, December). The role of similarity and bias in letter acuity measurements: a noisy template model. In Perception (Vol. 51, pp. 192-193). European Conference on Visual Perception 2022, Nijmegen, Netherlands [POSTER]
Barhoom H., Schmidtmann G., Joshi R.M., Artes, P.H., Georgeson, M.A. (2021). The role of bias in a letter acuity identification task: a noisy template model. Perception 50 (1_ SUPPL), 83-83 [POSTER]
Barhoom, H., Joshi, M. R., & Schmidtmann, G. (2021). The effect of response biases on resolution thresholds of Sloan letters in central and paracentral vision. Vision Research, 187, 110–119. [PDF]
Maria Zawadyl (Undergraduate Research Scholar - College of Optometrists 2019)
Project: Summation Within and Across Shapes in Central and Peripheral Vision
Schmidtmann, G., & Zawadyl, M. (2020). Summation Within and Across Shapes in Central and Peripheral Vision. Perception, 49, 6, pp. 704-704). Applied Vision Association (AVA) Christmas Meeting 2019, Cardiff University, 2019, Cardiff University, 2019 [SLIDES]
Jeannette Ngadjeu (Undergraduate Research Scholar - College of Optometrists 2018)
Project: The role of shape features in partly occluded and scaled shapes.
Schmidtmann, G., The influence of partial occlusion on shape recognition, In Perception 50, 6, pp. 575-576. Applied Vision Association (AVA) Christmas Meeting 2020 [SLIDES]