Education

• Rutgers University, PhD in Biomedical Engineering 1998
• Rutgers University, MS in Biomedical Engineering 1997
• Rutgers University, BS in Biomedical Engineering 1994

Research Interests

• vision research and neurology
• the effects of prediction and adaptation as it relates to the vergence system, which is the foundation for virtual reality
• development of new instruments and data analysis software to understand basic research of how the human body functions as well as aid in the detection of diseases

Research goals include understanding how the visual system inter-operates with the brain.  Key questions being addressed by staff in research lab include:

• How motor learning occurs in the oculomotor system.
• Understanding oculomotor dynamics in the vergence system.
• The underlying cause of eye strain.
• Why some people learn to wear progresssive lenses while others cannot.
• Understanding how external light energy influences the oculomotor system.

Many experiments quantify the dynamics of eye movements.  This research laboratory utilizes state of the art dynamic and static oculomotor recording instrumentation integrated with a limbus eye movement system.  The lab is equipped to record dynamic saccadic, smooth pursuit, disparity vergence, and accommodative disparity vergence responses.  With close proximity to the Advanced Imaging Center, functional MRI experiments are performed using a 3T Siemens Magnetron system.

 Publications

• Alvarez TL, Bhavsar M, Semmlow JL, Bergen MT, Pedrono C: Short-Term Predictive Changes in the Dynamics of Vergence Eye Movements in press Journal of Vision 2005.
• Alvarez TL, Semmlow JL, Pedrono C, "Divergence Eye Movements are Dependent on Initial Stimulus Position" Vision Research 45 (14) (2005) pp 1847-1855.
• Alvarez TL, Gollance SA, Thomas GA, Greene RJ, Marchetto PM, Moore EJ, Realini T, Liebmann JM, Ritch R, Lama P, Fechtner RD: The Proview Phosphene tonometer fails to measure ocular pressure accurately in Clinical Practice Ophthalmology. 111(6) (2004) pp 1077-1085.
• Alvarez TL, Semmlow JL, and Yuan W:  Closely-Spaced, Fast Dynamic Movements in Disparity Vergence, J. Neurophysiol.37-44, 1998.
• Semmlow JL, Yuan W, and Alvarez TL:  Evidence for Separate Control of Slow Version and Vergence Eye Movements:  Support for Hering’s Law, Vis. Res. 1145-1152, 1998.
• Alvarez TL, Semmlow JL, Yuan, Munoz, P: Dynamic Details of Disparity Convergence Eye Movements, Annals of Biomed.  Eng. 27:380-390 1999.
• Yuan W, Semmlow JL, Alvarez TL, Munoz P: Dynamics of the Disparity Vergence Step Response: A Model based Analysis, IEEE Transaction Biomed Eng  46:1191-1198, 1999.
• Munoz P, Semmlow JL, Yuan W, Alvarez TL: Short-Term Modification of Disparity Convergence Eye Movements, Vision Research 39:1695-1705, 1999.
• 6.  Alvarez TL, Semmlow JL, Yuan W, Munoz, P: Disparity Vergence Double Responses Processed by Internal Error, Vision Research 40:341-347, 2000.

Conference Proceedings Papers:

• Carpenter (Alvarez) TL and Semmlow JL:  Isolation of the disparity vergence late component.  Proc.  IEEE 2nd an NE Biomed. Conf. New Brunswick, NJ 1996. 
• Yuan W., Semmlow, JL, Alvarez, TL, and Munoz, P.: A Minimal Model to Simulate Dynamics of Initial Vergence Component.  IEEE 23rd Ann. NE Bioeng. Conf, Durham, NH 1997.
• Alvarez, TL, and Semmlow, JL.: Neural Processing in Vergence Eye Movements: A Time Based Study. IEEE 23 Ann. NE Bioeng. Conf, Durham, NH 1997.
• Munoz P, Semmlow JL, Alvarez, TL, Yuan W.: Short-Term Adaptation in Disparity Vergence Eye Movements. 19th Ann. Intern.  Conf of IEEE EMBS, Chicago, IL 1997.
• Yuan W., Semmlow JL, Alvarez, TL, Munoz P.: Dynamic Variability in Vergence Eye Movements: A Model Based Study.  19th Ann. Intern Conf. of IEEE EMBS, Chicago, IL 1997.
• Alvarez TL, Semmlow JL, Yuan W, Munoz P.: Dynamic Analysis of Disparity Vergence Eye Movements: Beyond the Main Sequence. 19th Ann. Intern. Conf of IEEE EMBS, Chicago, IL 1997.

Abstracts:

• Semmlow, JL, Carpenter (Alvarez) T: Interaction of Initial and Late Components in Disparity Vergence. ARVO, Ft. Lauderdale FL 1996.
• Semmlow JL, Carpenter (Alvarez) T: Control Components in Vergence Eye Movements. Biomedical Engineering Society, University Park PA 1996.
• Alvarez, TL, Yuan, W, Semmlow, JL: Evidence of Double Preprogrammed Responses in Disparity Vergence Eye Movements.  ARVO, Ft. Lauderdale FL 1997.
• Semmlow, JL, Yuan W., Alvarez T.L.: Evidence for Separate Control of Slow Vergence and Version Eye Movements: Support for Hering’s Law. ARVO, Ft. Lauderdale FL 1997.
• Yuan, W, Semmlow JL, Munoz P, Alvarez T:  A Model for Vergence Burst and Tonic Cells. ARVO Ft. Lauderdale FL 1998.