Dr. Katharina Rifai (name at birth: Havermann) Eberhard Karls University Tübingen Institute for Ophthalmic Research E-mail: katharina.rifai@medizin.uni-tuebingen.de

PhD in 2011

Research Project

Mechanisms of Saccadic Adaptation
The mechanism of saccadic adaptation constitutes a role model for learning in motor systems. The close interconnection between sensory and motor information in eye movements is unique in the human brain. Therefore, control mechanisms of the brain can be studied in detail by determining oculomotor learning. Whereas in the past, the saccadic system has been considered being a stand-alone system fed only by retinal errors of preceding saccades, my research interest focusses on the numerous additional sources of information, which the visuomotor system uses to empower visuomotor learning. These additional sources include temporal and spacial properties of the learning signal as well as inputs from other eye movement systems, e.g. the pursuit system.

PhD Committee

Prof. Dr. Markus Lappe (Supervisor)
Prof. Dr. Fred Hamker
Prof. Dr. Sylvia Kaiser

Publications

Havermann K, Cherici C, Rucci M, Lappe M (2014) Fine-scale plasticity of microscopic saccades. J Neurosci 34:11665–11672. doi:10.1523/JNEUROSCI.5277-13.2014.

Havermann, K., Zimmermann, E., and Lappe, M. (2011). Eye position effects in saccadic adaptation. Journal of Neurophysiology, doi:10.1152/jn.00023.2011.

Havermann, K., Volcic, R., and Lappe, M. (2011). Saccadic adaptation to moving stimuli. In preparation.

Havermann, K. and Lappe, M. (2010). The influence of the consistency of postsaccadic visual errors on saccadic adaptation. Journal of Neurophysiology, 103(6):3302.

Conference Contributions

Havermann, K. & Lappe, M.,Saccadic adaptation and space perception. Poster presented at the OCC Symposium "Fusing brain states and mental domains", Münster, Germany, 2008.

Havermann, K. & Lappe, M., Variance of visual error influences saccadic adaptation. Poster presented at the European Conference on Visual Perception (ECVP), Regensburg, Germany, 2009. Abstract

Havermann, K. & Lappe, M., Variance of visual error influences saccadic adaptation. Poster presented at the 9th International UJI Robotics School on Visuomotor Interaction, Benicàssim, Spain, 2009.

Havermann, K., Zimmermann, E., Fattori, P. & Lappe, M., Eye position effects in the adaptation of reactive saccades.Oral presentation at the Neuroscience Conference, San Diego, California, 2010. Abstract

Havermann, K., Volcic, R., & Lappe, M., Saccadic adaptation to moving stimuli. Poster presented at the European Conference on Eye Movements (ECEM), Marseille, France, 2011.

CV