The Meier Lab at the University of Houston College of Optometry investigates the development of contrast sensitivity, motion perception, eye-movements, stereopsis, and binocular vision from early life through adolescence and adulthood. Our tools include psychophysics (MATLAB/PTB), dichoptic displays (PROPixx), eye-tracking (TRACKPixx, Eyelink), EEG (BioSemi ActiveTwo), and fNIRS (Artinis Brite).

We’re interested in how visual development unfolds, how the limits of an immature function may impact the development of downstream function, and what this can teach us about typical visual mechanisms in adulthood. We’re also interested in how this development may be altered by amblyopia, strabismus, or other disorders that impact visual experience before the visual system is fully mature: both to understand sensitive periods in development, and to understand the mechanisms underlying successful (or not) treatment for these disorders.

Get involved

Undergraduate students are welcome to reach out to find out if we have any current openings. Our projects are well-suited for motivated students who are interested in gaining research experience as they prepare for professional programs in optometry, medicine, or health; or those who are considering graduate school in psychology, vision science, and related fields. We can support student applications for OURMA programs, like the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship or the Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship Program; reach out early if this is something you are interested in pursuing.

Graduate students (MS, OD/MS, and PhD) are admitted through the UHCO's Graduate Program in Physiological Optics/Vision Science. Applications are typically due end of January. Get in touch if you'd like to learn more. (Please note - for some reason, these emails tend to get caught in my spam filter. If you've sent me an email and haven't heard anything back, it's OK to email again.)

We are always accepting inquiries for postdoctoral positions – keep an eye out for advertised (funded) positions, but if you'd like to put together an application for a competitive opportunity (like the NIH F32 or K99) you are welcome to reach out. (Fellow Canadians should check outTri-Council Postdoctoral Fellowships for opportunities that can be held here in the US!) 

Currently-enrolled OD students can take part in research in the lab through the UHCO Summer Research Program (application deadlines are typically late April). If this is something you're interested in, you can email email Dr. Meier any time of year to discuss research opportunities.