People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers

655: Researching how the Brain Changes with Vision Rehabilitation - Dr. Tara Alvarez


Listen Later

Dr. Tara Alvarez is Professor of Bio-Medical Engineering at New Jersey Institute of Technology and Chief Scientific Officer at OculoMotor Technologies. Tara's research focuses on how we move our eyes, how visual information is brought in through our visual system, and how the brain changes. In particular, she studies a condition called convergence insufficiency. In this condition, people have difficulty and discomfort when reading or maintaining focus on near objects. She is working to better understand convergence insufficiency and how the brain changes during visual therapy, resulting in reduced symptoms. In her free time, Tara loves spending time with her kids, doing renovation projects at home, cooking, and gardening. She was awarded her B.S. in Electrical Engineering and her Ph.D. in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering from Rutgers University. Afterwards, she conducted postdoctoral research at Bell Labs before joining the faculty at New Jersey Institute of Technology. She has received numerous awards and honors in her career, including an NSF Career Award, the Founding Members Award for Science from the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association, an Edison Patent Award, the NJIT Excellence in Research Award, and Augmented World Expo's Auggie Awards for Women XR Laureate and for Most Innovative Breakthrough. She has also been named an Outstanding Woman Scientist of NJ, a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and a Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering. In this interview, Tara shares more about her life and science.

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science CareersBy Dr. Marie McNeely, featuring top scientists speaking about their life and c

  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9
  • 4.9

4.9

280 ratings


More shows like People Behind the Science Podcast Stories from Scientists about Science, Life, Research, and Science Careers

View all
TED Radio Hour by NPR

TED Radio Hour

21,983 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,773 Listeners

Living Planet by DW

Living Planet

136 Listeners

The Quanta Podcast by Quanta Magazine

The Quanta Podcast

523 Listeners

Science Vs by Spotify Studios

Science Vs

12,173 Listeners

Science Weekly by The Guardian

Science Weekly

415 Listeners

Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

Science Magazine Podcast

822 Listeners

Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

Science Friday

6,366 Listeners

Radio Atlantic by The Atlantic

Radio Atlantic

2,323 Listeners

The Intelligence from The Economist by The Economist

The Intelligence from The Economist

2,531 Listeners

Life Kit by NPR

Life Kit

4,494 Listeners

Short Wave by NPR

Short Wave

6,421 Listeners

Nobel Prize Conversations by Nobel Prize Outreach

Nobel Prize Conversations

42 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,038 Listeners

Unexplainable by Vox

Unexplainable

2,316 Listeners