Ione Fine, Ph.D. Professor of Psychology; Affiliate Professor of Radiology and Ophthalmology Research Affiliate, Center on Human Development and Disability ionefine@uw.edu 206-685-6157 University of Washington Box 351525 Seattle, WA 98195-1525

Dr. Fine’s research examines developmental mechanisms of plasticity in the human brain by linking changes in function to changes in neuroanatomical structure, with a particular focus on the effects of early sensory loss. If humans lose a sense early in life, they only regain very limited ability to make use of that sense if it is ever restored in adulthood and there is “cross-modal plasticity” - colonization of the brain regions that normally serve the missing sense by remaining senses. These huge changes in the functional role of deprived cortical areas are accompanied by dramatic changes in their neuroanatomy and neurochemistry. All these factors have implications for the ability to restore sensory function using cochlear implants or retinal prosthetics. Current research projects focus on the biological constraints on cortical plasticity and the implications for sight restoration technologies, the effects of blindness on human early visual pathways, and the neural bases of binocular contrast integration in children with amblyopia.

For more information on her research activities please see Ione Fine's page on the FineLab website.

University of Washington • Center on Human Development and Disability • Box 357920 • Seattle WA 98195-7920 USA • 206-543-7701 • chdd@uw.edu

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