How the brain coordinates both eyes
Official title: Cortical and Brainstem Contributions to Binocular Eye Movements
Funded at Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute · NIH-11116893 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looking at whether separate brain areas let each eye move on its own or move together, which could help people with eye alignment problems like strabismus.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $484,509 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EY034626-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11116893 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with strabismus or other binocular vision problems (and sometimes healthy volunteers for comparison) would be ideal candidates to participate.
✕Less likely to help
People without binocular vision problems or those needing immediate surgical correction may not receive direct benefit from this work.
What this research studies
This project studies how cortical (thinking) and brainstem (reflex) parts of the brain work together to move the two eyes during everyday tasks by recording eye movements under different viewing conditions. Researchers will use tests such as covering one eye and tracking moving targets to see if one eye can move differently from the other and to map the timing and speed of those movements. The work challenges long-held ideas that the brain always issues a single combined command for both eyes and instead explores a two-part model of slow independent control and fast paired control. Results aim to improve how doctors measure and decide on treatments for eye alignment problems.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to better diagnosis and treatment decisions for strabismus and other binocular vision disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Some smaller eye-movement studies hint that eyes can be controlled independently, but this combined cortical-plus-brainstem model is relatively new and not yet widely proven.
Where this research is happening
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Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Heinen, Stephen J — Smith-Kettlewell Eye Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Heinen, Stephen J
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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.