Sunday, May 18, 2025, 12:30 – 2:30 pm, Sabal/Sawgrass

Organizers: Caitlin Mullin, VISTA Program Director, York University; Laurie Wilcox, VISTA Scientific Director, York University; Rob Allison, Director, Center for Vision Research, York University
Speaker: Laurie Wilcox, VISTA Scientific Director, York University

This social event welcomes all VSS members who are Canadian, know a Canadian, or simply want to connect with Canadian vision scientists! Canada is a welcoming and innovative hub for vision science research, and this is a great opportunity to engage in casual conversations with students and faculty from top Canadian institutions.

Take this chance to connect across borders and explore the exciting opportunities available through York’s Centre for Vision Research (CVR) and the Vision: Science to Applications (VISTA) program. Whether you’re planning a collaboration, or just appreciate a country that takes both science and maple syrup seriously, we’d love to meet you!

Enjoy free food, refreshments, and great company—and build meaningful connections within the vision science community. We look forward to seeing you there!

Saturday, May 17, 2025, 2:45 – 6:45 pm, Banyan Breezeway
Monday, May 19, 2025, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, Banyan Breezeway

Organizers: Sabrina Hansmann-Roth, University of Iceland; Bjoern Joerges, York University; William Ngiam, University of Chicago; Yong Hoon Chung, Dartmouth College

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 to our last two editions, we are organizing another pre-data-collection poster session at VSS2025.

If you are interested in presenting a poster at this session, please submit your proposal via this Google Forms. Registration for this event will be just-in-time, with a May 2nd deadline for abstract submissions, and authors will be notified of acceptance by 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 28 participants and spots will be granted on a first come, first serve basis. If you have questions, you can email Bjoern (bjoerges at yorku.ca) or Sabrina (sabrina at hi.is).

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.

!!!!UPDATE!!!!: You can download the abstract booklet here:

VSS welcomes members to submit proposals for both satellite and social events to be held at VSS 2025.

A VSS satellite or social event is an event originated by VSS members or conference attendees that require venue facilities, publicity in VSS media, or coordination with VSS staff.

Examples of satellites include special interest groups, user groups, committee meetings, workshops, tutorials, or scientific meetings. Social events are gatherings of any of the VSS communities that are predominantly social in nature. Examples include Visibility, Canadian Social, etc.

Satellite and social events can be open to all attendees or be invitation only, but they may not overlap with any official VSS event. Time slots for satellites are listed below. Please note that your preferred slot may not necessarily be available. Scheduling is at the discretion of the VSS Board of Directors.

Day	Time Slots Available
Saturday	12:30 – 2:30 pm
Sunday	12:30 – 2:30 pm, 7:30 – 10:00 pm
Monday	2:00 – 5:30 pm
Tuesday	12:30 – 2:30 pm, 7:30 – 10:00 pm
Wednesday	Before noon

All satellites and social events must be approved by VSS. An application form must be completed and submitted by January 10, 2025.

Approved satellite and social events will be scheduled in January and organizers of accepted events will be notified thereafter. Listing of Satellite and Social Events in VSS media is at the discretion of VSS.

Satellite and Social Event Fees

Social Events

• VSS members: $300
• Commercial partners: $500

Satellite Events

• VSS members not charging a satellite registration fee: $300
• VSS members charging a satellite registration fee: $500
• Commercial partners: $1,000

Organizers are responsible for the costs of food and A/V. VSS staff are solely responsible for coordinating and arranging the food, A/V, room assignment, and promotion in VSS media (program, website, and signage). Please check with VSS if you have any questions. Any changes to the arrangements or late special requests may incur additional fees.

Organizer Requirements

• Organizers must be members of VSS and registered for the meeting.
• Commercial companies interested in organizing a Satellite or Social Event must be a VSS 2025 sponsor. VSS welcomes sponsors. For information about sponsorship opportunities, contact .

Organizer Responsibilities

Organizers must:

• Work directly with the VSS Executive Director (Shauney Wilson) and designated staff regarding all event logistics.
• State clearly in all communications about the event, including written materials and emails, that the Satellite or Social Event is neither sponsored nor endorsed by VSS.
• Announce at the beginning of the event that the event is not sponsored or endorsed by VSS.
• Assume full financial responsibility for food/beverage services and equipment ordered (including setup and tear down labor, room rental, and reset fees, if applicable). A deposit to VSS may be required at least one week prior to the event.
• Obtain additional liability insurance and/or permits (if necessary).
• Order miscellaneous items, except those requested on the standard form (i.e., audiovisual, staging, etc.), from VSS vendors, unless given written permission by the VSS Executive Director.
• Use services only from VSS’s official vendors, unless given written permission by the VSS Executive Director.
• Remove all signage and meeting materials (e.g., handouts) from assigned rooms at the event’s conclusion and agree to pay any cleaning fee resulting from use of the space.
• Adhere to the VSS Code of Conduct as established by the VSS Board of Directors.

Prohibited Actions

• Demonstrations, displays, and/or marketing or distribution of commercial products is not permitted during Satellite and Social Events. Event speakers may refer to a product as a reference tool during presentations.
• Promotional literature advertising the Satellite or Social Event may not be distributed as door drops in hotels, unless given written permission by the VSS Executive Director. Event organizers may not conduct drawings or award gifts to meeting attendees, unless given written permission by the VSS Executive Director.
• Organizers cannot use the VSS acronym in website URLs, unless given written permission by the VSS Executive Director.
• No recording without permission.

Schedule

Applications Accepted: November 22, 2024
Applications Deadline: January 10, 2025
Please use our online Satellite Event Request Form to submit the details of your satellite event.

Satellite Event applications are closed

Wednesday, May 15

Computational and Mathematical Models in Vision (MODVIS)

Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Blue Heron

Thursday, May 16

Computational and Mathematical Models in Vision (MODVIS)

Thursday, May 16, 2024, 9:00 am – 6:00 pm, Blue Heron

Friday, May 17

Computational and Mathematical Models in Vision (MODVIS)

Friday, May 17, 2024, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, Blue Heron

The Vision Science of Digital Readability: Community-Building Workshop

Friday, May 17, 2024, 9:00 am – 12:00 pm, Snowy Egret

Saturday, May 18

VPixx: A Multispectral Projector for Advanced Vision Science

Saturday, May 18, 2024, 12:45 – 2:15 pm, Banyan/Citrus

Sunday, May 19

Pre-Data-Collection Poster Session

Sunday, May 19, 2024, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, Banyan Breezeway

Canadian Vision Science Social

Sunday, May 19, 2024, 12:30 – 2:30 pm, Sabal/Sawgrass

WorldViz: Virtual Reality + Eye Tracking for Research

Sunday, May 19, 2024, 12:45 – 2:15 pm, Blue Heron

VISxVISION Workshop: Vision Science and Data Visualization Research

Sunday, May 19, 2024, 7:15 – 9:15 pm, Banyan/Citrus

Monday, May 20

Psychophysics Software with MATLAB

Monday, May 20, 2024, 2:00 – 3:30 pm, Jasmine/Palm

Paths for Vision Scientists to Drive Societal Impact

Monday, May 20, 2024, 2:00 – 5:00 pm, Blue Heron

Computational Neuroimaging of the Visual Cortex

Monday, May 20, 2024, 2:00 – 5:00 pm, Banyan/Citrus

Tuesday, May 21

phiVis: Philosophy of Vision Science Workshop

Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 12:30 – 2:30 pm, Banyan/Citrus

FoVea Workshop: Negotiation: When To Do It and How To Do It Successfully

Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 1:00 – 2:30 pm, Jasmine/Palm

Pre-Data-Collection Poster Session

Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 2:45 – 6:45 pm, Banyan Breezeway

All Days

Art of Memory Exhibition

Poster boards are located in the Grand Palm Colonnade, near VSS Registration

Sunday, May 19, 2024, 8:30 am – 12:30 pm, Banyan Breezeway
Tuesday, May 21, 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.

You can view and download the abstract booklet for this year’s session here:

Tuesday, May 21, 2024, 1:00 – 2:30 pm, Jasmine/Palm

Sponsored by: Females of Vision et al (FoVea)

Organizers: Diane Beck, University of Illinois & Charisse B. Pickron, University of Minnesota

Two panelists will share their thoughts on when and how to negotiate. Topics will include: knowing when to negotiate, how to prepare for negotiations, ways to demonstrate your skills, priorities, and needs while negotiating, and challenges that arise during negotiations, particularly for women. The panelists will each give a brief presentation, and then will take questions and comments from the audience and lead a discussion.

Speakers:

Marisa Carrasco, Julius Silver Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University who served as the Chair of the Psychology Department for 6 years

Allison Sekuler, Sandra A Rotman Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience, Rotman Research Institute
President & Chief Scientist, Baycrest Academy for Research and Education, and the Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, Professor, Psychology, University of Toronto, Professor Emeritus, Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University

FoVea is a group founded to advance the visibility, impact, and success of women in vision science (www.foveavision.org). We encourage vision scientists of all genders to participate in the workshops.

Organizers: Wilma Bainbridge, University of Chicago; Trent Davis, University of Chicago

The Brain Bridge Lab will be showing the Art of Memory exhibition throughout this year’s VSS conference! As a part of our research into the relationship between art and memory, we are hosting an art contest where we challenge artists to try to create the most memorable and forgettable artworks! Unlike traditional art contests, the winners are determined solely based on the artwork’s memorability score, or how well they manipulate the memory of the viewer.

There will be several poster boards in the registration lobby filled with the most memorable and forgettable artworks from the Brain Bridge Lab’s art contest! We invite all VSS-goers to view all of the paintings in this pop-up exhibition, where you will have the opportunity to test your memory and win prizes!

We would love for any and all artists among the VSS crowd to enter our contest by April 1st (https://brainbridgelab.uchicago.edu/artcontest/), for the chance to win cash prizes and have your work displayed at both the Connect Gallery in Chicago and at VSS!

Monday, May 20, 2024, 2:00 – 5:00 pm, Blue Heron

Organizers: Sharon Gilad-Gutnick¹ & Ella Striem-Amit²

Speakers: Lotfi Merabet³; Jeremy Wolfe⁴; Sharon Gilad-Gutnick¹; Simon Fischer-Baum⁵; Cheri Wiggs⁶ 

¹Massachusetts Institute of Technology / Project Prakash
²Georgetown University Medical Center
³Massachusetts Eye & Ear / Harvard Medical School
⁴Brigham & Women’s Hospital / Harvard Medical School
⁵Rice University / National Science Foundation
⁶National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health 

The primary objective of this workshop is to aid in harnessing the insights from vision science to inform practical applications. As vision researchers, we possess a comprehensive understanding of the significance of vision and the crucial role played by brain mechanisms in supporting visual perception. While we advocate for evidence-based policies, rehabilitation initiatives, and school-based vision screening, there is an apparent gap in ensuring that our scientific knowledge effectively reaches the key stakeholders who can drive meaningful changes in both clinical and neurotypical populations. Several challenges, such as delayed translation between research and medical treatment, resource limitations, and a lack of incentives for researchers to engage with stakeholders, hinder our impact on society.

The workshop aims to address these challenges by creating a roadmap for vision researchers, offering tangible pathways for them to engage directly with society through their research. This engagement can take various forms, including promoting policy change, collaborating with clinicians and schools, and advocating for evidence-based interventions. The desired outcome of the event is to establish a network of scientists interested in pursuing implementation science within vision research. Eventually, this network could evolve into a permanent organization or committee dedicated to supporting such initiatives within the vision sciences community.

The workshop agenda will include presentations by researchers discussing how policy can be derived from vision science findings, featuring challenges, success stories and sharing advocacy resources. Additionally, we will hear from representatives from a funding agency about available mechanisms supporting such work, as well as from representatives from organizations driving evidence-based policy research. The workshop will also include breakout sessions into round tables, providing attendees with a platform to share their experiences, challenges, and ideas for creating a collaborative community to drive these initiatives forward. Ultimately, the workshop aims to establish a network of individuals interested in further collaboration and follow-up efforts.

Monday, May 20, 2024, 2:00 – 5:00 pm, Banyan/Citrus

Organizers: Noah Benson, University of Washington & Mark Schira, University of Wollongong

Speakers: Noah C. Benson; Fernanda L. Ribeiro; Mark M. Schira

To register or for more information about this workshop, please visit https://nben.net/vss2024/

Contemporary vision science requires substantial computational resources and expertise, yet traditional vision science training does not typically focus on learning, maintaining, or keeping up-to-date with modern computational tools. Simultaneously, the space of open source software tools, such as fMRIprep, and open standards, such as BIDS, available for vision and neuroimaging research has exploded in recent years. This environment greatly facilitates robust and reproducible research but is simultaneously difficult to navigate for investigators of all experience levels.

This workshop will demonstrate how laboratory management, reproducible scientific practices, and contemporary neuroimaging analysis methods can all be greatly simplified using existing tools that abstract away the technical complexities of managing software and hardware resources. We will begin this workshop by introducing the Neurodesk platform (https://www.neurodesk.org/), a free, open-source system for managing laboratory data, installations of research software, and computational jobs for lab members. Neurodesk is modular, includes most common neuroscience software tools, and can run as easily on a researcher’s PC, in the cloud, or on a lab server. All participants in the workshop will be given access to a Neurodesk cloud instance that can be used to follow along with tutorials and examples in the session (no installation required by participants). We will discuss how Neurodesk can be used as a teaching, management, and high performance computing tool before demonstrating the use of several well-established open-source software tools in Neurodesk by creating a simple, reproducible workflow together that is focused in particular on connecting models of the cortical surface to voxel-based analyses, including the drawing of visual area boundaries and features on the cortical surface. Finally, we will discuss cutting-edge tools for brain annotation: convolutional neural networks.

This workshop is intended for all audiences: students and junior researchers can expect to learn about powerful tools and techniques that facilitate high-quality research, while senior investigators can expect to learn about valuable tools for lab management and teaching. All researchers stand to benefit from the adoption of community-supported open-source tools such as Neurodesk and the many independent tools supported by Neurodesk that we will demonstrate.

Monday, May 20, 2024, 2:00 – 3:30 pm, Jasmine/Palm

Organizers: Vijay Iyer, MathWorks; Alexis Paez, MathWorks; Greg Ginnan, INCF

Speakers: Alexis Paez, PhD, MathWorks; Greg Ginnan, PhD, INCF; Vijay Iyer, PhD, MathWorks; Mario Kleiner (lead developer) and Celia Foster, PhD, Psychophysics Toolbox; Lindsey Fraser, PhD, VPixx; Justin Gardner, PhD, MGL; Giles Holland (lead developer), PsychBench

Many experimental studies in Vision Science fall within the realm of psychophysics: the quantitative control of sensory stimuli combined with quantitative measurement of perception. Since the personal computing era, psychophysical vision science has been critically empowered and accelerated by software tools, such as the Psychophysics Toolbox (PTB), enabling diverse visual stimuli to be presented to subjects with careful timing of both stimulus and response. This satellite event will convene developers of various psychophysics software packages released with substantial or fully open-source code in MATLAB (a widely-used scientific computing language), to present their latest updates and respond to questions and feedback from the VSS community. Event will also include brief presentations/discussions by the MathWorks (makers of MATLAB) and the INCF (an international organization dedicated to open and FAIR neuroscience).