Each year, VSS solicits its membership to submit creative visual images related to the field of vision science, the Society, or the VSS meeting. There are two competitions, Website Banner Competitionand the T-Shirt Design Competition. Winning graphic images are featured on the program, abstracts book, signage, and t-shirts.
The Vision Sciences Society is pleased to recognize Molly McKinney and Tan-Ni Yang as the winners of the 2024 Graphics Competition.
We encourage you to join the VSS Board of Directors for the Annual Business Meeting. During this meeting, the VSS leadership will provide an overview of the Society and the outlook and priorities. The board will continue discussions about the future venue locations and share the feedback we received from the latest membership survey.
The Business Meeting is an opportunity for VSS members to ask questions of the VSS Board of Directors and bring up issues of concern to the general membership.
You may send questions before the start of the Business Meeting to .
Monday, May 20, 2024, 2:15 – 3:15 pm, Pirate Island
Enjoy free snacks and refreshments while you meet other undergraduates. We’ll also have a few graduate student and faculty mentors who will be happy to answer any questions about the conference, career options, or scientific interests.
The Vision Sciences Society is honored to present Isabel Gauthier with the 2024 Davida Teller Award
Congratulations to Isabel Gauthier, the twelfth recipient of the Davida Teller Award. The Teller Award was created to honor the late Davida Teller’s exceptional scientific achievements, commitment to equity, and strong history of mentoring. The award is given to a female vision scientist in recognition of her exceptional, significant, or lasting contributions to the field of vision science.
Isabel Gauthier
David K. Wilson Professor of Psychology at Vanderbilt University
Dr. Isabel Gauthier is the David K. Wilson Professor of Psychology at Vanderbilt University and also holds an appointment in Radiology and Radiological Sciences. Following a B. A. in Psychology at the Université du Québec a Montréal in 1993, she obtained a PhD from Yale University Department of Psychology in 1998 under the mentorship of Dr Michael Tarr. She completed two concurrent postdocs, at MIT with Dr Nancy Kanwisher and at Yale with Dr John C. Gore.
Dr. Gauthier is a leader in the study of object recognition from a cognitive neuroscience perspective. Her expert and distinctive blend of behavioural and functional magnetic resonance imaging studies have revealed the mechanisms subserving complex pattern recognition, demonstrating on these the effects of experience, specificity, and individual differences. In one of her early, highly influential studies, Dr Gauthier showed that naïve observers trained to recognize a new set of 3D rendered objects (‘Greebles’), evinced holistic processing and activation for Greebles in the Fusiform Face Area. This revolutionary demonstration went against the grain of many studies of face perception and its neural correlates, and the theoretical argument in favour of expertise was further revealed in studies of car and bird experts. In the early 2010s, Dr Gauthier’s interests in expertise expanded to the study of individual differences in object recognition. She used latent variable models to provide evidence for a domain-general visual ability that is independent of general cognitive abilities. This line of work has extended to individual differences in object recognition in the haptic and auditory modalities, and to general abilities in ensemble perception.
Dr. Gauthier’s research contributions have been widely recognized. She has received the Young Investigator Award, Cognitive Neuroscience Society; the APA Distinguished Scientific Award for Early Career Contribution to Psychology; and the Troland research award from the National Academy of Sciences. She is a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science, the Society of Experimental Psychologists, and the Psychonomic Society and is a member of AAAS. Dr. Gauthier has demonstrated exemplary commitment to her academic institution, serving as Vice Chair, Department of Psychology. Dr Gauthier has been widely recognized as a supportive and influential mentor to many graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and undergraduate students. At Vanderbilt, she was awarded the Graduate mentoring award from the College of Arts and Science in 2012 and the Excellence in Graduate student mentoring award from the Graduate School in 2024. She was recognized as the SEC Professor of the year in 2015. Dr Gauthier has also made significant contributions to the broader vision sciences community. In 2000, she founded the Perceptual Expertise Network, linking over ten laboratories across North America in collaborations until 2017. Dr Gauthier was an Associate Editor at JEP:HPP from 2005 to 2011, Editor of JEP:General from 2011 to 2017 and Editor of JEP:HPP since 2017. She has proudly mentored many editors and associate editors who now serve in many other journals.
Individual differences in domain-general object recognition
Dr. Gauthier will speak during the Awards session.
Saturday, May 18, 2024, 1:00 – 2:00 pm, Sabal/Sawgrass
Organizers: Rebecca Hornsey, University of Stirling; Jess Parker, University of Tennessee-Knoxville Moderator: Speakers: Lucas Nadólskis, Yingzi Xiong, Annabel Nijhof, Santani Teng, Lenia Amaral, Inbar Avni
We are thrilled to present a dynamic and engaging workshop focusing on the crucial theme of accessibility within conference settings. This one-hour event is designed to illuminate the path towards creating inclusive and accommodating environments for individuals with sensory impairments and neurodivergent experiences.
In an era where diversity and inclusivity take center stage, this workshop addresses the vital need to make conferences more accessible for everyone, regardless of their abilities or neurodivergent profiles. Our esteemed speakers will share insights, strategies, and ground-breaking research to foster an environment where all participants can fully engage and benefit from the conference experience.
Introduction to Accessibility in Conferences (5 mins)
Opening remarks. Gain an understanding of the importance of accessibility in conference settings.
Sensory Inclusivity: A Multisensory Approach (speakers 2 x 10 mins)
Delve into strategies for accommodating individuals with sensory impairments. Highlighting innovative technologies and practices to enhance engagement for the visually & auditory impaired and other sensory-diverse communities.
Neurodiversity in Scientific Spaces (speaker 10 mins)
Discuss the challenges faced by neurodivergent individuals in conference settings. Present research findings on creating neuro-inclusive environments and promoting cognitive diversity.
Speaker Panel and Interactive Session (15 mins)
Engage with the audience in an open discussion to address queries and share additional insights. Encourage the exchange of ideas and collaborative efforts towards continued improvements in conference accessibility.
Final remarks (5 mins)
Summary of the talks and discussions, providing real-world examples of the way future VSS conferences can lead the way in inclusive event planning.
William Ngiam
University of Chicago
William Ngiam is a postdoctoral researcher in the Awh and Vogel Lab at the University of Chicago, studying how learning and experience influence the representation of visual information in memory, and leveraging that to understand the capacity limits of visual working memory. He is an active advocate for reform to improve science – he serves on the steering committee of ReproducibiliTea, a grassroots initiative to form Open Science communities at academic institutions, and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal for Reproducibility in Neuroscience, a non-profit diamond open access journal. You can follow him on Twitter @will_ngiam.
Janna Wennberg
UC San Diego
Janna Wennberg is a third-year Ph.D student in psychology at UC San Diego. With Dr. John Serences, she uses behavior, fMRI, and computational modeling to investigate how flexible neural codes support visual attention and working memory. She became interested in open science as an undergraduate through her work with Dr. Julia Strand, a speech perception researcher and leader in the open science movement. She realized that open science practices such as preregistration and registered reports have served as valuable training opportunities for her, and she is interested in exploring how scientific reforms can be tools both for improving research and training early career researchers.
Sabrina Hansmann-Roth
University of Lille
Sabrina Hansmann-Roth is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Lille and the Icelandic Vision Lab. Before that, she obtained her Ph.D. from the Université Paris Descartes. She is interested in the mechanisms used to represent information in visual memory. For that, she investigates probabilistic representations of visual ensembles, visual priming and perceptual biases such as serial dependence. Beyond that, and as a member of the SPC, she is passionate about discussing Open Science particular for Early Career Researchers. Contact Sabrina at or on Twitter: @SHansmann_Roth
Saturday, May 18, 2024, 12:45 – 2:15 pm EDT, Royal Tern
Organizers: Akihito Maruya, State University of New York; Avi Aizenman, University of Giessen Moderator: Speakers:
The conference format has remained unchanged for decades, despite recent technological advancements. Is it possible to revolutionize this traditional approach by ethically leveraging technology for enhanced accessibility? Our focus in this event will be two themes:
Elevating Communications, Accessibility, and Inclusivity: Discussing how technologies can be integrated to enhance and improve the conference experience.
Harnessing the Power of AI with Ethical Standards: Delving into how scientists can responsibly leverage AI capabilities.
VSS, is an international conference with attendees from around the world, including individuals for whom English is not their first language and those with sensory impairments. These participants may face challenges in communication and presenting their work. Can the latest developments in technologies help in fostering better communication for them? Reflecting on the impact of COVID-19, we all experienced the transition to online conferences, which, admittedly, lacked the efficiency of in-person meetings. Many individuals travel long distances to attend the conference physically. Can we leverage technologies to transform online conferences into being more immersive and having greater accessibility to a global audience? A 25-mins presentation by VR/AR or AI specialists will explore the possibilities, followed by a 5-mins discussion on how VR/AR can shape the future of conferences.
AI is a rapidly evolving technology that has the potential to accelerate research and innovation in previously unimaginable ways. This comes with an equally important responsibility: the ethical integration of AI into scientific workflows. We will discuss pressing questions in a way that scientists can harness the power of AI while maintaining ethical standards. A 20 minute panel with AI experts will delve into the potential risks and benefits of AI integration in research, and the challenges of balancing open science and transparency with these innovations. This will be followed by a 10-minute open discussion.
William Ngiam
University of Chicago
William Ngiam is a postdoctoral researcher in the Awh and Vogel Lab at the University of Chicago, studying how learning and experience influence the representation of visual information in memory, and leveraging that to understand the capacity limits of visual working memory. He is an active advocate for reform to improve science – he serves on the steering committee of ReproducibiliTea, a grassroots initiative to form Open Science communities at academic institutions, and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal for Reproducibility in Neuroscience, a non-profit diamond open access journal. You can follow him on Twitter @will_ngiam.
Janna Wennberg
UC San Diego
Janna Wennberg is a third-year Ph.D student in psychology at UC San Diego. With Dr. John Serences, she uses behavior, fMRI, and computational modeling to investigate how flexible neural codes support visual attention and working memory. She became interested in open science as an undergraduate through her work with Dr. Julia Strand, a speech perception researcher and leader in the open science movement. She realized that open science practices such as preregistration and registered reports have served as valuable training opportunities for her, and she is interested in exploring how scientific reforms can be tools both for improving research and training early career researchers.
Sabrina Hansmann-Roth
University of Lille
Sabrina Hansmann-Roth is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Lille and the Icelandic Vision Lab. Before that, she obtained her Ph.D. from the Université Paris Descartes. She is interested in the mechanisms used to represent information in visual memory. For that, she investigates probabilistic representations of visual ensembles, visual priming and perceptual biases such as serial dependence. Beyond that, and as a member of the SPC, she is passionate about discussing Open Science particular for Early Career Researchers. Contact Sabrina at or on Twitter: @SHansmann_Roth
Sunday, May 19, 2024, 1:00 – 2:00 pm EDT, Royal Tern
Organizers: Claudia Damiano, University of Toronto; Stephanie Shields, University of Texas at Austin Moderator: Speakers:
Back by popular demand! Following requests to repeat last year’s event, the VSS-SPC is hosting a panel discussion on early career transitions, from the undergraduate level up through securing faculty positions and jobs outside of academia. A panel of vision scientists with a variety of chosen career paths will discuss their stories, the transitions they’ve gone through in their careers, and how they made the key decisions that led them to their current jobs. After each panelist gives an overview of their story, audience members will be invited to participate in a question-and-answer session with the panel. The panel will include representatives from both academia and industry, so attendees will hear firsthand perspectives both on navigating academia and on transitioning between academia and industry. Especially given the recent layoffs in industry and the pandemic’s lasting impact on hiring in higher education, we hope the panel will provide useful insights into current trends affecting early career researchers and ideas for how trainees can increase their chances of success in today’s professional landscape.
William Ngiam
University of Chicago
William Ngiam is a postdoctoral researcher in the Awh and Vogel Lab at the University of Chicago, studying how learning and experience influence the representation of visual information in memory, and leveraging that to understand the capacity limits of visual working memory. He is an active advocate for reform to improve science – he serves on the steering committee of ReproducibiliTea, a grassroots initiative to form Open Science communities at academic institutions, and is the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal for Reproducibility in Neuroscience, a non-profit diamond open access journal. You can follow him on Twitter @will_ngiam.
Janna Wennberg
UC San Diego
Janna Wennberg is a third-year Ph.D student in psychology at UC San Diego. With Dr. John Serences, she uses behavior, fMRI, and computational modeling to investigate how flexible neural codes support visual attention and working memory. She became interested in open science as an undergraduate through her work with Dr. Julia Strand, a speech perception researcher and leader in the open science movement. She realized that open science practices such as preregistration and registered reports have served as valuable training opportunities for her, and she is interested in exploring how scientific reforms can be tools both for improving research and training early career researchers.
Sabrina Hansmann-Roth
University of Lille
Sabrina Hansmann-Roth is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Lille and the Icelandic Vision Lab. Before that, she obtained her Ph.D. from the Université Paris Descartes. She is interested in the mechanisms used to represent information in visual memory. For that, she investigates probabilistic representations of visual ensembles, visual priming and perceptual biases such as serial dependence. Beyond that, and as a member of the SPC, she is passionate about discussing Open Science particular for Early Career Researchers. Contact Sabrina at or on Twitter: @SHansmann_Roth
Sunday, May 19, 2024, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, Banyan Breezeway; Tuesday, May 22, 2024, 2:45 – 6:45 pm, Banyan Breezeway
Organizers: Sabrina Hansmann-Roth, University of Iceland; Bjoern Joerges, York University; William Ngiam, University of Chicago; Janna Wennberg, University of California
It is customary for conference posters to contain at least preliminary results – that is some data has to have been collected. However, criticism and suggestions with regards to the experimental design – a major benefit of poster sessions – would be most helpful before data collection has even started. Receiving feedback at an early stage in research promotes rigorous and impactful science by helping researchers identify confounds, hidden assumptions, or even learn of issues with past attempts before it is too late, cutting down on research waste and enabling suggested changes being implemented to their experiments. This mirrors one of the key advantages of Open Science initiatives like Registered Reports, which adds peer scrutiny of a preregistration before data is collected. Following the positive response of last year’s attendees, we would therefore like to organize another pre-data-collection poster session in the context of VSS2024.
Interested VSS attendees will be asked to sign up by indicating their research topic and a short (250 word) description of their research idea and the methods to be used. To ensure that researchers are able to discuss current projects, registration for this event will be just-in-time (deadline May 5th). Those selected will be asked to prepare a conference poster which focuses heavily on the theoretical background of the study, and their proposed study methods. Attendance will be capped at a number of 40 participants and spots will be granted on a first come, first serve basis after a quick basic quality check by the organizers.
We are aware that, under an adversarial, competitive – dare I say capitalist – view of academia, this event may place presenters in a vulnerable position – participation publicizes research ideas without allowing them to formally lay claim through a publication. We encourage poster viewers to be mindful, using this event to establish collaboration with presenters and improve science. We will be creating an Open Science Framework Meetings page if presenters wish to upload their pre-data posters, providing a verification and timestamp of their research proposals. However, ultimately if you are worried about getting scooped, presenting your idea at this event might not be the right decision for you.
If you want to present a poster on your proposed research design, you cansubmit your abstract using this Google Form. If you merely want to browse and comment on the posters, no registration is necessary.