Understanding how infants learn to control their gaze through experience and brain development
Official title: Eye tracking and computational approaches to understand the roles of maturation and experience in infant looking
Funded at University of California at Davis · NIH-10898543 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how babies use their eyes to explore the world around them and how their growing brains help them do this, so we can better understand how they learn to pay attention to things they see.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Fellowship grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California at Davis NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Davis, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $77,284 |
| NIH project number | 5F32EY034017-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10898543 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for participation are infants under one year old who are being observed for their visual attention and gaze control.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are older than one year or those with significant visual impairments may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how infants use their eyes to learn about their surroundings and how their brain development influences this process. By observing infants' looking behaviors at various familiar and unfamiliar objects, the study aims to determine the balance between natural brain maturation and individual experiences in gaze control. The researchers will employ traditional eye tracking methods alongside advanced computational models to analyze these behaviors. The findings could enhance our understanding of visual attention development in infants and inform future assessments and interventions.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved strategies for supporting visual attention development in infants.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding visual attention through eye tracking and computational modeling, making this approach both innovative and grounded in established methods.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California at Davis
Davis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hunter, Brianna Keenan — University of California at Davis
- Study coordinator: Hunter, Brianna Keenan
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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.