Prof. Michael Webster, Eminent Vision Scientist Delivers Guest Lecture at School of Medical Sciences, at UoH.
The School of Medical Sciences at the University of Hyderabad hosted an engaging guest lecture by Prof. Michael A. Webster, a world-renowned vision scientist from the University of Nevada, Reno, on “From Pixels to Perception: Adaptation Across the Visual Hierarchy.” The event took place at the C. V. Raman Auditorium on 25 September 2025 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Welcoming Prof. Webster to the campus, Prof. Ramesh Kumar Mishra, Dean, School of Medical Sciences, highlighted the school’s ongoing efforts to bring leading global scholars to interact with students and faculty. The lecture drew participation from researchers, faculty members, and students across disciplines interested in Optometry, Cognitive sciences, Public Health, Neuroscience and psychology. The Talk was coordinated by Dr. Shiva Ram Male, Assistant Professor and Course coordinator-I. M. Optometry at School of Medical Sciences.
About the Speaker
Prof. Michael A. Webster is a leading authority in visual perception and cognitive neuroscience. He earned his Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley and completed his postdoctoral research at the University of Cambridge, UK. Currently, he serves as Foundational Professor and Director of the Center for Integrative Neuroscience (NIH COBRE) at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Prof. Webster’s groundbreaking research focuses on perceptual adaptation -how the human visual system recalibrates in response to environmental and physiological changes such as aging or shifts in climate. He has discovered novel and influential forms of adaptation shaping our perception of colors, facial features, and image clarity. His work has been continuously supported by the National Institutes of Health, and he has received accolades including a Foundation Professorship and the Outstanding Researcher Award at the University of Nevada. With more than 250 publications, over 11,200 citations, and an h-index of 50, his research has appeared in prestigious journals such as PNAS, Nature, PLOS, and Scientific Reports.
Highlights of the Lecture
In his talk, Prof. Webster explored how the senses are constantly recalibrating their responses to match the stimulus environment. He explained how adaptations occur at all levels of the visual hierarchy, affecting nearly everything we see, and shaping whether people experience the visual world in similar or unique ways. The lecture drew connections between laboratory findings and real-world changes, such as how the brain adjusts to altered lighting conditions, environmental shifts, and aging-related changes in vision.
The session concluded with a lively Q&A segment, where students and faculty discussed emerging directions in visual neuroscience and the broader implications of perceptual adaptation research.
Significance for UoH
The lecture formed part of the School of Medical Sciences’ broader initiative to expose students to cutting-edge international research and build collaborations in cognitive and neural sciences, Optometry and vision sciences. Prof. Webster’s visit provided a unique opportunity for UoH scholars to engage with a leader in the field of vision and cognition research to gain insights into contemporary research practices and methodologies.
Around 200 participants, including faculty members, research scholars, and students, attended the guest lecture. Following the session, Prof. Webster also visited laboratories at the Centre for Neural and Cognitive Sciences (CNCS), where extensive research on visual attention, literacy and real-world cognition is being carried out using advanced eye-tracking facilities. Prof. Webster interacted with the PhD students working under Prof. Mishra and appreciated the ongoing research of CNCS and the School’s areas of research interest.
