February 10, 2023
Oakland University undergraduate student Yasmeen Hassan has received a $2,500 grant from the Sigma Xi Society to support her research on the underpinnings of human vision. The electrical and computer engineering major is investigating how the human eye senses motion.
“My research focuses on how visual motion processing occurs within the retina,” Hassan explained. “This process is essential for humans to detect moving objects.”
In particular, Hassan’s research explores how problems in the process can cause vision impairments and neurodevelopmental disorders in premature infants.
To qualify for grant, Hassan submitted an application describing her research and its implications for advancing the study of human vision. A letter of recommendation from her faculty mentor, Dr. Dao-Qi Zhang, associate professor of biomedical sciences, was also included.
Dr. Zhang served as Hassan’s faculty mentor during her participation in OU’s Summer Undergraduate Program in Eye Research, a 12-week program that allows undergraduates to participate in sponsored research of faculty in OU’s Eye Research Institute. Hassan said the experience was “a pivotal moment” that taught her how to think like a researcher and sparked an appreciation for the intricacies of the human eye.
“The eye is interesting in that although it is a small organ, it has a large impact on our daily lives, and understanding its pathologies through scientific research is important,” she shared. “The complexity of the eye and its interconnected neurons is what attracted me to eye research, even though my major is in engineering. I can draw many parallels between how the eye operates versus other systems I have studied throughout my undergraduate studies, and it excited me to be able to relate the two fields to each other.”
Since 1922, the Sigma Xi Grants in Aid of Research (GIAR) program has provided undergraduate and graduate students with valuable educational experiences. By encouraging close working relationships between students and mentors, the program promotes scientific excellence and achievement through hands-on learning.