Tadin Lab

Significant research topics

(references for papers cited below are listed under the Papers tab)

Adaptive spatial interactions in motion perception: Visual processing faces two conflicting demands: integration and segmentation. In motion perception, spatial integration is required by noisy inputs and local velocity ambiguities. Local velocity differences, however, can provide key information about figure-ground segregation and object shape. We demonstrate that the balance between these conflicting demands is not fixed, but depends on visual conditions: At low-contrast, motion perception improves with increasing size – a result indicating spatial integration. At high-contrast, however, motion discriminations worsen as the stimulus size increases – a surprising result we describe as spatial suppression. Our current research focuses on functional consequences of these spatial interactions.
Tadin et al., Nature, 2003 ~ Tadin & Lappin, Vis Res, 2005 ~ Tadin & Lappin, 2005 ~ Tadin & Blake, Neuron, 2005 ~ Paffen et al., Vis Res, 2006 ~ Tadin, Lappin & Blake, J Neurosci, 2006 ~ Tadin, Kim et al., J Neurosci, 2006 ~ Tadin et al., JOV, 2008 ~ Lappin et al., JOV, 2009 ~ Glasser & Tadin, JOV, 2010 ~ Tadin et al., J Neurosci, 2011 ~ Glasser & Tadin, JOV, 2011 ~ Foss-Feig et al., in revision ~ Melnick et al., in revision ~ Agosta et al., in review ~ Tadin et al., in review ~ ongoing research
Motion perception research: The aim of this work is to understand the broader mechanisms of motion perception, their limits and functional roles.
Tadin et al., Nature Nsc, 2002 ~ Lappin et al., Vis Res, 2002 ~ Lappin et al., JOV, 2009 ~ Tadin et al., Vis Res, 2010 ~ Glasser et al., PNAS, 2011 ~ Glasser & Tadin, JOV, 2011 ~ Tadin et al., IOVS, 2012 ~ Yang et al., Clin Psych Sci, 2013 ~ Foss-Feig et al., in revision ~ Zhang et al., J Neurosci, in press ~ Nyquist et al., in prep ~ ongoing research
Binocular rivalry: Our investigation of binocular rivalry is motivated by (1) its inherent significance and fascination, (2) its potential as a valuable experiment tool and (3) its usefulness as an experimental method for studying visual awareness.
Chong et al., JOV, 2005 ~ Paffen et al., Vis Res, 2006 ~ Blake at al., PNAS, 2006 ~ Pearson et al., JOV, 2007 ~ Dieter & Tadin, Front Hum Neurosci, 2011 ~ ongoing research
Visual adaptation: Visual adaptation has been dubbed the psychologist’s microelectrode because the resulting visual aftereffects presumably reveal response properties of neural mechanisms that are activated by adapting stimuli. In our lab, we use adaptation as an experimental tool to investigate various visual mechanisms, but we also work to understand the mechanisms of visual adaptation and its possible functional roles.
Tadin et al., Nature, 2003 ~ Blake at al., PNAS, 2006 ~ Tadin, Paffen et al., JOV, 2008 ~ Glasser et al., PNAS, 2011 ~ ongoing research
Attention: We are also involved in attention research, with an emphasis on attentional modulations of binocular rivalry and the effects of attentional training on both normal and impaired vision.
Chong et al., JOV, 2005 ~ Dieter & Tadin, Front Hum Neurosci, 2011 ~ Nyquist et al., in prep ~ Tadin et al., IOVS, 2012 ~ ongoing research
Biological motion: Here, we are investigating biological motion perception, its neural mechanisms and computational principles.
Tadin et al., Nature Nsc, 2002 ~ Gold et al., Percept Psychophys, 2008 ~ Vangeneugden et al., in prep
Perceptual learning: We are striving to understand how the different visual processes we study change through perceptual learning. Such studies will provide insights not only into the mechanisms of perceptual learning but also into processes that change through learning.
Tadin et al., Optom Vis Sci, 2008 ~ Tadin et al., in review ~ Nyquist et al., in prep ~ ongoing research
Temporal processing: Visual processing can be quite temporarily precise. We are interested in characterizing the limits of this temporal precision and understanding the neural mechanisms that determine these limits.
Lappin et al., Vis Res, 2002 ~ Tadin, Lappin & Blake, J Neurosci, 2006 ~ Lappin et al., JOV, 2009 ~ Tadin et al., Vis Res, 2010 ~ Glasser et al., PNAS, 2011 ~ Foss-Feig et al., in revision ~ Melnick et al., in revision
Form perception: In our research, we also investigate ‘form processes,’ including orientation, selective mechanisms, perceptual grouping, visual crowding and spatial contextual interactions. In many cases, our aim is to compare these processes to equivalent motion processes so we can gain insights into general principles that are common across visual sub-modalities.
Tadin et al., Nature Neurosci, 2002 ~ Paffen et al., Vis Res, 2006 ~ Blake at al., PNAS, 2006 ~ Yang et al., Clin Psych Sci, 2013 ~ Nyquist et al., in prep ~ Tadin et al., IOVS, 2012

Research approaches

Psychophysics: This is the main approach in the lab and it is used in nearly all studies.

Brain stimulation: We use TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) and tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation) to investigate the neural bases of perceptual mechanisms studied in the lab.
Pearson et al., JOV, 2007 ~ Tadin et al., J Neurosci, 2011 ~ Agosta et al., in review ~ Vangeneugden et al., in prep ~ ongoing research
Neurophysiology: We collaborate with neurophysiology labs to gain a better understanding of the links between perception and neural activity.
Glasser et al., PNAS, 2011 ~ Borghouis et al., in prep
fMRI: Brain imaging work is conducted at the Rochester Center for Brain Imaging (RCBI) and through external collaborations.
Tadin et al., J Neurosci, 2011 ~ Vangeneugden et al., in prep ~ Hintz et al., in prep
Computational modeling:
Tadin & Lappin, Vis Res, 2005 ~ Gold et al., Percept Psychophys, 2008 ~ Glasser et al., PNAS, 2011 ~ Borghouis et al., in prep ~ Zhang et al., J Neurosci, in press ~ ongoing research
Eye tracking:
ongoing research
Special population work: We study vision in special populations for two reasons: (1) such work often yields insights into normal functioning of the visual system and (2) this research has the potential to translate into tangible improvements in visual functioning of the affected populations.
schizophrenia patients: Tadin et al., BBS, 2005 ~ Tadin et al., J Neurosci, 2006 ~ Yang et al., Clin Psych Sci, 2013
low vision: Tadin et al., Optom Vis Sci, 2008 ~ Lappin et al., JOV, 2009 ~ Tadin et al., IOVS, 2012 ~ Nyquist et al., in prep ~ ongoing research
older adults: Tadin & Blake, Neuron, 2005 ~ Tadin et al., in review ~ Dieter et al., in prep ~ ongoing research
stroke and brain tumor patients: Hintz et al., in prep ~ ongoing research
autism spectrum disorders: Foss-Feig et al., in revision ~ ongoing research

Key resources

360Hz DLP projectors (4 set-ups)
Multiple CRT psychophysical set-ups
TMS (Magstim Rapid2) with BrainSight neuronavigation
tDCS stimulators
Eyelink 2K desktop eye tracker (2 set-ups)
BrainVoyager
Stereoscopes & active shutter glasses
Patient testing laboratory
Access to VR labs
Access to Siemens 3T scanner