Thanasis Panorgias, MS, PhD

Credentials

PhD, Neuroscience, University of Manchester, UK
MSc, Optics and Vision, University of Crete, Greece

Areas of Expertise

Professional Memberships

Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)
International Colour Vision Society (ICVS)
International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision

Research Interests

Color Vision
Electrophysiology
Myopia
Visual Neuroscience

Research Involvement

Dr. Panorgias’ lab, recently developed a system to improve the spatial specificity of an eye test called the multifocal electroretingram (mfERG). This non-invasive test records the retina’s electrical activity when stimulated by light. A persistent challenge is the involuntary, subtle eye movements that occur even when we maintain a fixed gaze, affecting the spatial specificity of the mfERGs – our ability to identify the exact retinal region that produces the recorded signal. To address this, we’ve developed a system that tracks eye movements in real-time, adjusting the light stimulus’ location to match the eye’s shifts. This approach aligns the light stimulus with the same retinal area consistently, increasing spatial specificity. Our rigorous experiments confirm the system’s feasibility and its potential to substantially enhance the diagnostic value of mfERGs, marking a significant advancement in ocular diagnostics.

If you are interested in the hardware/software integration of this project, please contact Dr. Panorgias directly.

Publications & Presentations

1. Retinal responses to simulated optical blur using a novel dead leaves ERG stimulus A Panorgias, S Aigbe, E Jeong, C Otero, PJ Bex, FA Vera-Diaz Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 62 (10)
2. Blue light activates pulvinar nuclei in longstanding idiopathic photophobia: a case report A Panorgias, D Lee, KE Silva, D Borsook, EA Moulton
   NeuroImage: Clinical 24, 102096
3. Age-related changes in ON and OFF responses to luminance increments and decrements K Shinomori, A Panorgias, JS Werner JOSA A 35 (4), B26-B34
4. Senescent changes and topography of the dark-adapted multifocal electroretinogram A Panorgias, M Tillman, EE Sutter, A Moshiri, C Gerth-Kahlert, JS Werner Investigative ophthalmology & visual science 58 (2), 1323-1329
5. Age-related change in fast adaptation mechanisms measured with the scotopic full-field ERG. MA Tillman, A Panorgias, JS Werner Documenta Ophthalmologica 2016;132 (3), 201-212

Publications

Collaborators

Fuensanta A. Vera-Diaz, OD, PhD, FAAO
Associate Professor of Optometry
New England College of Optometry

Peter J. Bex, PhD
Chair and Professor of Psychology
Northeastern University

Christopher P. Taylor, PhD
Assistant Professor of Vision Sciences
New England College of Optometry

Masters Students

Alison Taylor, Class of 2024
Raviv Katz, Class of 2025
Srini Srirangam, Class of 2025
Simon Wong, Class of 2025