Vision Science is an area of study that is based on facts and theories from a wide array of sources such as anatomy and physiology, physics and optics, cognitive neuroscience and psychology, and biochemistry and genetics. The study of Sensation and Perception is the oldest sub-discipline within Psychology and the visual system is one of the best worked out neurological systems in the body. Nonetheless, Vision Science remains a dynamic and growing area of interdisciplinary study. The Vision Sciences track within the department of Psychology encompasses this breadth and focus with faculty that concentrate on the sensory, perceptual, and cognitive aspects of the field. Our goal is to train students for careers in teaching, research and/or industry. Core Vision Sciences Faculty Dr. Randy Hammond studies all aspects of the human visual system. This extends from basic studies of the cornea, lens and retina to applied studies of visual processing within the brain. A primary focus of his laboratory has been the investigation of how lifestyle, primarily dietary, influences both the development of degenerative disease and the normal function of the central nervous system. For example, psychophysical methods are used to measure the concentration of the dietary carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin within the fovea (termed macular pigment or the macula lutea) and have related those pigments to various aspects of retinal and brain function. Vision Sciences Laboratory Affiliated Vision Sciences Faculty Dr. Lisa Renzi-Hammond serves as adjunct faculty in the department and studies the ways in which visual function can serve as a biomarker for central nervous system health and function across the lifespan. She is an associate professor in the College of Public Health and retains strong ties to the UGA Psychology Department through both teaching activities and research collaboration. Vision Sciences Laboratory
