At the heart of our work is a deceptively simple question: What can you learn about a person from the way they move their eyes?
Our mission: To use eye-tracking and cognitive science to uncover the mechanisms behind how people see, interpret, and act on complex visual information. And to do so while building national models for inclusive research training.
The videos above feature students sharing their journeys as emerging scientists. Their voices reflect what makes this lab different: we don’t just study attention—we give it. Research here isn’t competitive or isolating. It’s community-powered. We use tiered mentorship, intentional feedback systems, and shared leadership to ensure that every student is seen, supported, and equipped to thrive. Students present at national conferences, co-author peer-reviewed papers, and grow into mentors themselves.
Ready to be a part of our research community? We welcome students who are curious, kind, and committed to making research more inclusive and impactful. Apply now to join the lab and begin your research journey.
Director, HFAN Research Group
“Our students don't just graduate with technical skills. They leave with national presentations, coauthored papers, and the experience of being part of something bigger than themselves. They make meaningful contributions to their fields. That’s the kind of training model that should be the standard."
— Dr. Robert G. Alexander, HFAN Director
Our Work Spans:
Medical Image Interpretation. We study the visual reasoning of radiologists and clinicians to reduce diagnostic error and build next-generation training tools.
Perception, Identity, and Visual Culture. Our studies reveal how people literally see the world differently—depending on identity, expertise, and prior knowledge. For example, we use eye-tracking to study how fans of popular media perceive imagery from their fandom, offering new insights into narrative processing and social attention.
Eye Movements in Health & Disease. We investigate how changes in eye movements reflect changes in health status, to inform early diagnosis and individualized diagnostic strategies.
Research Training & Workforce Development. We operate as a training center for inclusive excellence, providing mentorship and hands-on research experiences that empower students across disciplines and identities.
Scalable, Student-Centered Infrastructure. We are formalizing our mentorship and training process to help other institutions replicate our training approach, to enhance the student research experience everywhere.
