Visual Development Unit

Division of Psychology and Language Sciences 
University College London 
and 
Department of Experimental Psychology 
University of Oxford 

  Directors: Prof Janette Atkinson (UCL), Prof Oliver Braddick (Oxford). Co-Principal Investigator: Dr John Wattam-Bell (UCL)
               

WHAT DOES YOUR BABY SEE?

 The Visual Development Unit has been running for over 20 years, first in the University of Cambridge, and since 1993 at University College London. We now have a second Unit at the University of Oxford. 

We devise new methods for testing how children use the vision they need for everyday tasks - recognising objects and people, reaching for toys, crossing the road, finding their way around. These tests help us to find out more about how the eye-brain systems develop normally, and why this development sometimes goes wrong.
 

The London Unit is situated at 26 Bedford Way, on the fourth floor (with our own automatic door and lift). We have feeding and changing facilities here, as well as toys and books for both babies and older brothers and sisters. We can reimburse volunteer families for short taxi journeys or for other travel expenses, including parking which is available nearby.

The Oxford Unit has similar facilities. It is on the ground floor of the University's department of Experimental Psychology, on the corner of South Parks Road and St. Cross Road, near the University Parks.

If you would like to volunteer your child and have a baby any age between birth and 5 years, please find out how you can help us. 

As many of our tests are for children in the first three months of life, it is especially helpful to hear from parents as soon as possible after birth. Once we have received your form, we will contact you to arrange an appointment. We will also be able to offer a vision screening check during your visit.
The Visual Development Unit has been supported since its beginning in 1975 by grants from the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Babies’ hand movements for different sized objects reveal how they can use visual information to guide their actions. (a) ‘grasp and close’ action; (b) non ‘grasp & close’ action.
 
fMRI – normal adults (Braddick et al, Current Biology, 2000). Independent networks for coherent form and coherent motion.
We have a wide programme of research and assessment in both normal and abnormal visual development in infants and young children.  
The post-box test assesses visually based planning of actions. This is often a problem in Williams Syndrome


We liaise with a number of academic departments and hospital-based research and assessment groups in London and Oxford, including University College Hospital, Hammersmith Hospital, John Radcliffe Hospital, Institute of Ophthalmology and Moorfields Eye Hospital.  

We recruit our volunteer families with normal infants mainly from the UCH, Royal Free, Chelsea & Westminster and Whittington hospitals.

We have also carried out the follow-up of 300 children selected from our second video refraction Screening Programme in Cambridge.

bullet For an overview of the work we do, take a look at the Introduction page

 
bullet More comprehensive information is available on our Research page
bullet For a list of the papers we have published, see the Publications page
 
bullet NEW: Follow link for details of the forthcoming Atkinson Braddick Celebration
bullet If you are willing to help us and have a baby any age between birth and two years, find out how you can help us.

bullet Contact details, and information about the People who work here.
bullet Links to visual development and related resources.
 
Home
Introduction

Visual Development Unit, Division of Psychology and Language Sciences
University College London, Gower Street London WC1E 6BT UK
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7679 7574 Fax +44 (0)20 7679 7576
 Email: vdu [AT] psychol.ucl.ac.uk

Updated June 2010