University of Pennsylvania · NeuroscienceThe Flicker Lab
Geoffrey Karl Aguirre · Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Research Focus
Dr. Geoffrey Aguirre's lab at the University of Pennsylvania focuses on understanding how migraines and visual discomfort interact with perceptions of flickering light. They explore the brain's response to visual stimuli in people with and without migraines, using innovative technology to measure light exposure and analyze how this impacts sensory experience. The goal is to uncover the underlying neural mechanisms of photophobia and improve management strategies for those affected by migraines.
photophobiamigrainevisual perceptionefficient codingneuroscienceflicker sensitivityfunctional MRIsensory processingpsychophysics
Research Aims
3AIM 01Apply efficient coding framework to understand flicker perception in migraine and control participants.
AIM 02Utilize personal light-logging devices to assess the visual experiences of people with and without migraine.
AIM 03Investigate the neural representation of visual flicker through functional MRI to identify neural coding patterns.
Skills the Lab Values
functional MRIpsychophysical testingdata analysislight-logging technologyexperimental designneural signal processingstatistical modelingcomputer programmingvisual stimulus design
Output against the department
Publications706top 7% of dept.48th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations30ktop 13% of dept.88th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.