Accommodation, presbyopia, and a novel approach to maintain sharp vision even in old age.
Torsten Straßer, Junior Group Leader Applied Vision Research Lab, University of Tübingen
TIME: Tuesday, 3rd March 2026, 12:45 PM.
WHERE: IMBIT NEXUS Lab, Georges-Köhler-Allee 201, 79110 Freiburg
ABSTRACT: Age‑related stiffening of the crystalline eye lens leads to presbyopia, a condition that diminishes the ability to focus on near objects and affects billions of people worldwide. This talk introduces a novel biomimetic approach that records the eye’s ciliary muscle activity using scleral or intraocular sensors to control tunable artificial lenses in real time. Early results from human volunteers and non‑human primates demonstrate that the neuromuscular feedback loop of natural accommodation can be partially restored. The presentation outlines the physiological foundations, measurement techniques, and recent technological advances toward future accommodating visual prostheses.
BIO: Dr. Torsten Straßer is a Junior Research Group Leader at the Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tübingen, where he heads projects on advanced electrophysiological recording and analysis of retinal and visual‑pathway signals. He earned his doctorate (Dr. sc.hum.) at the University of Tübingen with a dissertation on refined electrophysiological recording and processing of neural signals from the retina and ascending visual pathways, followed by a post‑doctoral fellowship and several years as a research associate in the same institute.
He holds a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science and in parallel to his academic career, Dr. Straßer built extensive experience in IT in the private sector. Since the early 2000s he has also been a lecturer in computer science at the University of Applied Sciences Augsburg.
Dr. Straßer is the inventor of multiple patents, notably a flexible ring electrode for ophthalmic use and a method/device for determining refractive error. He actively contributes to the scientific community as a reviewer for leading journals such as Documenta Ophthalmologica, Vision Research, Biomedical Optics Express, and others, and served as Guest Editor for a special issue on “Pupil Function: Trends and Advances in Technology and Understanding.”
Visit his profile to learn more about his work at https://www.eye-tuebingen.de/labs/main-labs/strasser-lab/members/torsten-strasser
HOST: Simon Binder
We look forward to welcoming you to our guest lecture.