Vision in Motion

Perception and action go hand in hand. Animals do not passively receive information from the world—they actively explore it, moving their eyes, head, and body to gather the information they need. However, much of what we know about how the brain processes sensory signals comes from experiments in which these natural movements are restricted. While this makes experiments easier to control, it separates perception from the movements that normally shape it.

In our research, we study how the brain works under more natural conditions. Using head-mounted eye tracking, large-scale recordings of brain activity, and interactive augmented reality environments, we examine how visual brain circuits operate during movement. We are particularly interested in how movement helps the brain perceive depth and recognize objects reliably, even when they appear from different angles.

By combining automated tracking of behavior with state-of-the-art neural recordings, we aim to understand how the brain links perception and action to guide adaptive visuomotor behavior.

Laura Busse is Professor of Organismic Neurobiology at the Faculty of Biology at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. In 2026, she was appointed Max Planck Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence. The aim of the programme is to strengthen cooperation between Max Planck Institutes and universities.