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Wilson S. Geisler, Ph.D.
David Wechsler Regents Professor of Psychology
Email: geisler@psy.utexas.edu
Phone: 471-5380 Lab: 471-3054
Office: SEA 4.328A Lab: SEA 4.322 (A,C), 6.110(A-D)
Center for Perceptual Systems
See also Perceptual Systems
Bill Geisler received his Ph.D. from the Indiana University before coming to the University of Texas. He is director of the Center for Perceptual Systems, holder of the David Wechsler Regents Chair in Psychology, a member of the Institute for Neuroscience and on the faculty of the Biomedical Engineering Program. Geisler has broad interests within the general areas of vision, visual perception and the evolution of perceptual systems. In his lab, scientific questions are often attacked with multiple techniques: psychophysics (behavior), neurophysiology (in collaboration with Professors Albrecht and Seidemann), image and scene analysis, and mathematical and computational modeling. Current projects are concerned with perceptual grouping, visual search, natural scene statistics, and the neurophysiology of primary visual cortex.
Courses
UNDERGRADUATE:
Psy 323 - Introduction to Perception
GRADUATE:
Psy 380E - Vision Systems (taught every Spring semester)
Psy 387N - Fundamentals of Perception (team-taught with D. McFadden)
Selected Publications
(See Dr. Geisler's Lab page for full list of publications which can be downloaded as PDF files)
Burge J. & Geisler W.S. (2011) Optimal defocus estimation in individual natural images. Imaging and Applied Optics Technical Digest, Optical Society of America, IMC2.
Geisler W.S. & Perry J.S. (2011) Statistics for optimal point prediction in natural images. Journal of Vision (in press).
McCann B., Hayhoe M.M. & Geisler W.S. (2011) Decoding natural signals from peripheral retina. Journal of Vision (in press)
Zhaoping L, Geisler W.S. & May K.A. (2011) Human wavelength discrimination of monochromatic light explained by optimal wavelength decoding of light of unknown intensity. PLoS One, 6, e19248.
Geisler, W.S. & Cormack, L. (2011) Models of overt attention. In S.P. Liversedge, I.D. Gilchrist & S. Everling (Ed.) Oxford Handbook of Eye Movements. New York: Oxford University Press.
Michel M.M. & Geisler W.S. (2011) Intrinsic position uncertainty explains detection and localization performance in peripheral vision. Journal of Vision, 11(1):18, 1-18.
Geisler W.S. (2011) Contributions of ideal observer theory to vision research. Vision Research, 51, 771-781.
Ing, A.D., Wilson, A.J., & Geisler, W.S. (2010) Region grouping in natural foliage images: Image statistics and human performance. Journal of Vision. 10(4):10, 1-19.
Geisler, W.S., Najemnik, J. & Ing, A.D. (2009) Optimal stimulus encoders for natural tasks. Journal of Vision, 17, 1-16.
Geisler, W.S. & Ringach, D. (2009) Natural Systems Analysis. Visual Neuroscience, 26, 1-3.
Geisler, W.S., Perry, J.S. (2009) Contour statistics in natural images: Grouping across occlusions. Visual Neuroscience, 26, 109-121.
Michel, M.M. & Geisler, W.S. (2009) Gaze contingent displays: Analysis of saccadic plasticit in visual search. Society for Information Display Technical Digest. 40 (1),911-914.
Najemnik, J. & Geisler, W.S. (2009) Simple summation rule for optimal fixation selection in visual search. Vision Research, 49, 1286-1294.
Seidemann, E., Chen,Y. and Geisler, W.S. (2009) Encoding and decoding with neural populations in the primate cortex. In: M.S. Gazzaniga (Ed.) The Cognitive Neurosciences, 4th Edition. Cambridge: MIT Press, 419-434.
Sit, Y.F. Chen, Y., Geisler, W.S., Miikkulainen, R. & Seidemann, E. (2009) Complex dynamics of V1 population responses explained by a simple gain-control model. Neuron, 64, 943-956.
Geisler, W. (2008) Visual perception and the statistical properties of natural scenes. Annual Review of Psychology Annual Review of Psychology, 59, 167-192.
Geisler, W. & Janemnik, J. (2008) Eye movement statistics in humans are consistent with an optimal search strategy.. Journal of Vision Journal of Vision, 8, 1-14.
Geisler, W., Chen, Y. & Seidemann, E. (2008) Optimal temporal decoding of V1 population responses in a reaction-time detection task. Journal of Neurophysiology, 99,1366-1379.
Geisler, W.S., Perry, J.S. and Ing, A.D. (2008) Natural systems analysis. In: B. Rogowitz and T. Pappas (Eds.), Human Vision and Electronic Imaging. Proceedings SPIE, Vol 6806, 68060M.
Geisler, W. & Tversky, T. (2007) Optimal sensor design for estimating local velocity in natural environments. In: B. Rogowitz and T. Pappas (Eds.), Human Vision and Electronic Imaging. SPIE Proceedings, Vol 6492, 649205.
Geisler, W.S., Albrecht, D.G. & Crane, A.M. (2007) Responses of neurons in primary visual cortex to transient changes in local contrast and luminance. The Journal of Neuroscience, 27 (19) 5063-5067. PDF Supplementary Information
Geisler, W. & Frazor, R. (2006) Local luminance and contrast in natural images. Vision Research, 46, 1585-1598.
Geisler, W., Najemnik, J. & Perry, J. (2006) Visual search: The role of peripheral information measured using gaze-contingent displays.. Journal of Vision J6, 858-873.
Geisler, W., Chen, Y. & Seidemann, E. (2006) Optimal decoding of correlated neural population responses in the primate cortex.. Nature Neuroscience, 9 (11) 1412-1420.
Geisler, W. & Najemnik, J. (2005) Optimal eye movement strategies in visual search.. Nature, 434, 387-391. PDF Supplementary information
Geisler, W., Raj, R., Frazor, W. & Bovik, A. (2005) Contrast statistics for foveated visual systems: Fixation selection by minimizing contrast entropy. Journal of the Optical Society of America A., 22 (10) 2039-2049.
Geisler, W., Mante, V., Bronin, V., Frazor, R. & Carandini, M. (2005) Independence of luminance and contrast in natural scenes and in the early visual system. Nature Neuroscience, 8 (12) 1690-1697. PDF Supplementary Information
Geisler, W., Frazor, R., Albrecht, D. & Crane, A. (2004) Visual cortex neurons of monkeys and cats: Temporal dynamics of the spatial frequency response function. Journal of Neurophysiology, 91, 2607-2627.
Geisler, W., Tversky, T. & Perry, J. (2004) Contour grouping: Closure effects are explained by good continuation and proximity. Vision Research, 44, 2769-2777.
