Envision Research Fellow Returns to Present at World's Largest Vision Research Conference | Envision Blog

Envision Research Fellow Returns to Present at World's Largest Vision Research Conference

By Beth Walker • May 24, 2024
Sarika standing in front of her poster presentation.

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The 2024 Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) Conference was held in May at the Seattle Convention Center. This conference is the largest international conference in the world of vision science, bringing vision scientists from all over Canada, India, China, Japan, Australia and the UK. ARVO is the largest eye and vision research organization in the world and has approximately 10,000 eye and vision researchers as members from over 75 countries. While last year’s ARVO conference had over 5,000 attendees, this year’s conference set the record for the largest attendance, with over 10,000 vision scientists traveling to speak about the latest advancements in vision science and research.

Sarika Gopalakrishnan, Research Fellow at the Envision Research Institute (ERI), presented her research, The Role of Head-Mounted Augmented Reality (AR) Devices in Improving Visual Function of Individuals, during this year’s conference. Gopalakrishnan states, “It was an honor for me to get to present my research work for the second time at ARVO. I had three AR devices at my presentation, and I was stationed near a window overlooking the city of Seattle. I demonstrated my AR devices to leading low vision researchers that came to my presentation and they were able to put the AR devices on and look out the window. I received feedback from them that will help me in the next phase of my research work, which was incredible.” 

With an average of 2,000 presentations in a single day, Gopalakrishnan was extremely impressed by the number of vision science professionals she was able to connect with and learn from. Among these professionals were industry leaders in the world of vision science, such as Dr. Michael Crossland, Senior Research Fellow at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology and Principal Optometrist in Low Vision at Moorfields Eye Hospital, who is co-author of the popular textbook, Low Vision: Principles and Management. Other leaders were Dr. John Robson, Senior Research Professor of Visual Science at University of Houston, who invented the Pelli-Robson contrast sensitivity chart and Spotchecks (camblobs), along with Dr. Gordon Legge, Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Director of Minnesota Laboratory for Low-Vision Research, who invented the MNREAD Acuity Chart. 

“My goal at this year’s conference was to meet the leading low vision researchers that I look up to, and I was able to do that, which was so inspiring for me,” shared Gopalakrishnan. “Dr. Legge, Dr. Crossland, and Dr. Robson all visited my presentation, and I even received a special acknowledgement in Dr. Crosslands symposium about my research work with AR.” There were also 20 former PhD students of Gopalakrishnan’s and 50 people who were in her Elite School of Optometry in attendance. She plans to continue with her research work, The Role of Head-Mounted Augmented Reality (AR) Devices in Improving Visual Function of Individuals, by initiating phase two of data collection which will help her further explore AR devices from different research angles.  

To learn more about Gopalakrishnan’s research work, visit this link. 

To learn more about the Envision Research Institute, click here.