How Our Eyes Choose What to Look At in Everyday Life
Official title: Saccade Target Selection in Naturalistic Visual Search
Funded at State College of Optometry · NIH-11134107 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research explores how our eyes quickly decide where to focus, especially in busy environments, which could help us understand conditions like ADHD.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State College of Optometry NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2019 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $642,031 |
| NIH project number | 2R01EY030669-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11134107 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
This foundational research is relevant to individuals interested in how the brain controls eye movements and attention, particularly those with conditions affecting focus like ADHD.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate new treatments or direct clinical interventions would not directly benefit from this basic science research.
What this research studies
Our eyes make many rapid movements each day to help us see clearly and perform daily tasks. This project looks at how our brain, specifically areas like the superior colliculus and frontal eye fields, works together to choose what we focus on without us even realizing it. Unlike most past work that used simple dots, this research uses more realistic, object-like scenes to better understand how we naturally search for things. By studying these fundamental eye movements, we hope to gain insights into how attention and focus work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a better understanding of how attention and visual focus are controlled, potentially informing future approaches for individuals with conditions like ADHD.
How similar studies have gone: While many studies have explored eye movements, this project uses a novel approach with more naturalistic visual scenes compared to previous work that often used simpler stimuli.
Where this research is happening
-
State College of Optometry
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcpeek, Robert M — State College of Optometry
- Study coordinator: Mcpeek, Robert M
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.