Tara Alvarez
Tara Alvarez
Distinguished Professor, Bio-Medical Engineering
611 Fenster Hall (FENS)
About Me
The focus of my career is to integrate my research and classroom experience to further understand how the brain remaps the oculomotor systems through training and vision therpay.
Education
Ph.D.; Rutgers University-New Brunswick; Biomedical Engineering; 1998
M.S.; Rutgers University-New Brunswick; Biomedical Engineering; 1997
B.S.; Rutgers University-New Brunswick; Electrical Engineering; 1994
M.S.; Rutgers University-New Brunswick; Biomedical Engineering; 1997
B.S.; Rutgers University-New Brunswick; Electrical Engineering; 1994
Website
2025 Spring Courses
BME 701B - MASTER'S THESIS
BME 790A - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
BME 494 - HONORS RESEARCH THESIS II
BME 492 - RESEARCH & INDPNDNT STUDY II
BME 792 - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
BME 491 - RESEARCH & INDEPENDENT STUDY I
BME 493 - HONORS RESEARCH THESIS I
BME 790A - DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
BME 494 - HONORS RESEARCH THESIS II
BME 492 - RESEARCH & INDPNDNT STUDY II
BME 792 - PRE-DOCTORAL RESEARCH
BME 491 - RESEARCH & INDEPENDENT STUDY I
BME 493 - HONORS RESEARCH THESIS I
Teaching Interests
Instrumentation and Neural Engineering
Past Courses
BME 210: PROCESSING FUND FOR BIOL SIGNA
BME 310: BIOMEDICAL COMPUTING
BME 472: FDA REGULATION OF MEDICAL DEVICES
BME 489: MEDICAL INSTRUMENTATION
BME 661: NEURAL ENGINEERING
BME 686: INTRO INSTRUMENT PHYSIOMEASURE
BME 698: ST:INSTRUMENT PHYSIO MEAS
BME 698: ST:INTRO TO PHYSIOMEASURE
BME 788: ST:
BME 788: ST:ADVANCED TOPICS IN VISION
BME 788: ST:LAB ROTATION
BME 788: ST:OCULOMOTOR EXPERIMNTL DESIG
BME 788: ST:OCULOMOTOR EXPERMTN & DESIG
BME 310: BIOMEDICAL COMPUTING
BME 472: FDA REGULATION OF MEDICAL DEVICES
BME 489: MEDICAL INSTRUMENTATION
BME 661: NEURAL ENGINEERING
BME 686: INTRO INSTRUMENT PHYSIOMEASURE
BME 698: ST:INSTRUMENT PHYSIO MEAS
BME 698: ST:INTRO TO PHYSIOMEASURE
BME 788: ST:
BME 788: ST:ADVANCED TOPICS IN VISION
BME 788: ST:LAB ROTATION
BME 788: ST:OCULOMOTOR EXPERIMNTL DESIG
BME 788: ST:OCULOMOTOR EXPERMTN & DESIG
Research Interests
Eye movement control; functional MRI; vergence, adaptive control, motor learning, traumatic brain injury, convergence insufficiency
Patents
Method, System and Apparatus for Diagnostic Assessment and Screening of Binocular Dysfunctions
Method, system, and apparatus for treatment of binocular dysfunctions
In Progress
TBI Acquired Convergence Insuffieincey Rehabilitation RCT
This study aims to examine the efficacy of office-based vergence and accommodative therapy (OBVAT) in remediating convergence insufficiency (CI) in children with CI acquired as a result of a concussion.
This study aims to examine the efficacy of office-based vergence and accommodative therapy (OBVAT) in remediating convergence insufficiency (CI) in children with CI acquired as a result of a concussion.
Journal Article
Sebastian Fine, Yi Gup, Henry Talasan, Steven LeStrange, Chang Yaramothu, Tara L. Alvarez. 2023. “Quantification of Oculomotor Responses and Accommodation through Instrumentation and Analysis Toolboxes.” Journal of Visualized Experiments, no. 193, pp. e64808.
A Sangoi, M Scheiman, Chang Yaramothu, E M Santos, S Gohel, Tara L. Alvarez. 2021. “Convergence Insufficiency Neuro-Mechanism Adult Population Study: Phoria Adaptation Results..” Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, vol. 62, no. 10, pp. 19.
Tara L. Alvarez, Chang Yaramothu, M Scheiman, A Goodman, S A Cotter, K Huang, A M Chen, M Grady, A E Mozel, O E Podolak, C G Koutures, C L Master. 2021. “Disparity vergence differences between typically occurring and concussion-related convergence insufficiency pediatric patients..” Vision research, vol. 185, pp. 58-67.
J Semmlow, Chang Yaramothu, M Scheiman, Tara L. Alvarez. 2021. “Vergence Fusion Sustaining Oscillations..” Journal of eye movement research, vol. 14, no. 1.
Chang Yaramothu, C J Morris, J V d'Antonio-Bertagnolli, Tara L. Alvarez. 2021. “OculoMotor Assessment Tool Test Procedure and Normative Data..” Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry, vol. 98, no. 6, pp. 636-643.
A Sangoi, M Scheiman, Chang Yaramothu, E M Santos, S Gohel, Tara L. Alvarez. 2021. “Convergence Insufficiency Neuro-Mechanism Adult Population Study: Phoria Adaptation Results..” Investigative ophthalmology & visual science, vol. 62, no. 10, pp. 19.
Tara L. Alvarez, Chang Yaramothu, M Scheiman, A Goodman, S A Cotter, K Huang, A M Chen, M Grady, A E Mozel, O E Podolak, C G Koutures, C L Master. 2021. “Disparity vergence differences between typically occurring and concussion-related convergence insufficiency pediatric patients..” Vision research, vol. 185, pp. 58-67.
J Semmlow, Chang Yaramothu, M Scheiman, Tara L. Alvarez. 2021. “Vergence Fusion Sustaining Oscillations..” Journal of eye movement research, vol. 14, no. 1.
Chang Yaramothu, C J Morris, J V d'Antonio-Bertagnolli, Tara L. Alvarez. 2021. “OculoMotor Assessment Tool Test Procedure and Normative Data..” Optometry and vision science : official publication of the American Academy of Optometry, vol. 98, no. 6, pp. 636-643.
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Conference Proceeding
“Abstract# 1: Individualizing HD-tDCS With fMRI and E-Field Modeling: Pilot Data from the NAVIGATE-TBI Study”
Brain Stimulation: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation, 2019.
“Clinical and Functional Imaging Changes Induced from Vision Therapy in Patients with Convergence Insufficiency”
2019.
“Proceedings# 37: Virtual eye rotation vision exercises (VERVE): A virtual reality vision therapy platform with eye tracking”
Brain Stimulation: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation, 2019.
“Functional connectivity of vergence neural substrates”
2014.
“Short-term modification of vergence ramp eye movements in the convergent direction”
2014.
Brain Stimulation: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation, 2019.
“Clinical and Functional Imaging Changes Induced from Vision Therapy in Patients with Convergence Insufficiency”
2019.
“Proceedings# 37: Virtual eye rotation vision exercises (VERVE): A virtual reality vision therapy platform with eye tracking”
Brain Stimulation: Basic, Translational, and Clinical Research in Neuromodulation, 2019.
“Functional connectivity of vergence neural substrates”
2014.
“Short-term modification of vergence ramp eye movements in the convergent direction”
2014.
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Conference Abstract
“You, Me, and Debris”
43rd annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference (NEBEC), 2017.
43rd annual Northeast Bioengineering Conference (NEBEC), 2017.
Other
“Functional Activity Significantly Correlates to Symmetrical Vergence Peak Velocity: An fMRI study of Vision Therapy”
Association of Vision and Ophthalmology, May 2014.
Association of Vision and Ophthalmology, May 2014.
Manuscript
“The Horizontal Dark Oculomotor Rest Position”
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol, August 2013.
“Error correction in vergence eye movements: Evidence supporting Hering’s Law”
Journal of Eye Movement Research, June 2012.
“The Frequency of Horizontal Saccades in Near and Far Symmetrical Disparity Vergence ”
Vision Research, June 2012.
“Assessment of Dual-Mode and Switched-Channel Models with Experimental Vergence Responses”
Journal of Eye Movement Research, May 2012.
“Functional Connectivity in Vergence and Saccade Eye Movement Tasks Assessed using Granger Causality Analysis ”
August 2011.
Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol, August 2013.
“Error correction in vergence eye movements: Evidence supporting Hering’s Law”
Journal of Eye Movement Research, June 2012.
“The Frequency of Horizontal Saccades in Near and Far Symmetrical Disparity Vergence ”
Vision Research, June 2012.
“Assessment of Dual-Mode and Switched-Channel Models with Experimental Vergence Responses”
Journal of Eye Movement Research, May 2012.
“Functional Connectivity in Vergence and Saccade Eye Movement Tasks Assessed using Granger Causality Analysis ”
August 2011.
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