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William H. Merigan Jr, Ph.D.

William H. Merigan Jr, Ph.D.

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Advanced Retinal Imaging Alliance

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About Me

Dr. Merigan's research examines the role of retinal ganglion cells in visual perception in the primate (human and macaque). The primate retina contains at least 14 different types of retinal ganglion cells, and each type forms a complete network across the retina. Because the size, shape and project...
Dr. Merigan's research examines the role of retinal ganglion cells in visual perception in the primate (human and macaque). The primate retina contains at least 14 different types of retinal ganglion cells, and each type forms a complete network across the retina. Because the size, shape and projections of each of the cell types is distinctive, it is thought that they may play quite different and possibly independent roles invisual function,but at present relatively little is known about this question. Some clues about possible functions of different ganglion cell classes comes from their structure (some extend across large swaths of retina, while others get input from tiny regions of retina), their physiology (some ganglion cells respond to color, while others are color blind), and their projections into the brain (some ganglion cells project to visual cortex while others reach the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which is thought to be important in diurnal rhythms).

Faculty Appointments

Professor - Department of Ophthalmology (SMD)

Professor - Department of Brain/Cognitive Sciences RC (RC) - Joint

Professor - Center for Visual Science A&S (RC) - Joint

Credentials

Education

PhD | Univ of Maryland. Psychology, All Other. 1975

MS | Univ of Maryland. Psychology. 1972

BA | Boston College. Psychology. 1967

Research

Publications

Journal Articles

Cone-Opponent Ganglion Cells in the Primate Fovea Tuned to Noncardinal Color Directions.

Godat T, Kohout K, Parkins K, Yang Q, McGregor JE, Merigan WH, Williams DR, Patterson SS

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 2024 May 144 (18)Epub 05/01/2024.

Cone-Opponent Ganglion Cells in the Primate Fovea Tuned to Non-Cardinal Color Directions.

Godat T, Kohout K, Yang Q, Parkins K, McGregor JE, Merigan WH, Williams DR, Patterson SS

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology.. 2023 September 16 Epub 09/16/2023.

Contributed Session III: In vivo calcium imaging of macaque foveolar retinal ganglion cells reveals spatiochromatic receptive field properties.

Godat T, Cottaris NP, Patterson S, Kohout K, Parkins K, Yang Q, Strazzeri JM, McGregor JE, Brainard DH, Merigan WH, Williams DR

Journal of vision.. 2023 September 123 (11):32. Epub 1900 01 01.

Optogenetic therapy restores retinal activity in primate for at least a year following photoreceptor ablation.

McGregor JE, Kunala K, Xu Z, Murphy PJ, Godat T, Strazzeri JM, Bateman BA, Fischer WS, Parkins K, Chu CJ, Puthussery T, Williams DR, Merigan WH

Molecular therapy : the journal of the American Society of Gene Therapy.. 2022 March 230 (3):1315-1328. Epub 09/20/2021.

In vivo chromatic and spatial tuning of foveolar retinal ganglion cells in Macaca fascicularis.

Godat T, Cottaris NP, Patterson S, Kohout K, Parkins K, Yang Q, Strazzeri JM, McGregor JE, Brainard DH, Merigan WH, Williams DR

PloS one.. 2022 17 (11):e0278261. Epub 11/29/2022.

Imaging Transplanted Photoreceptors in Living Nonhuman Primates with Single-Cell Resolution.

Aboualizadeh E, Phillips MJ, McGregor JE, DiLoreto DA, Strazzeri JM, Dhakal KR, Bateman B, Jager LD, Nilles KL, Stuedemann SA, Ludwig AL, Hunter JJ, Merigan WH, Gamm DM, Williams DR

Stem cell reports.. 2020 August 1115 (2):482-497. Epub 07/23/2020.

Localized Photoreceptor Ablation Using Femtosecond Pulses Focused With Adaptive Optics.

Dhakal KR, Walters S, McGregor JE, Schwarz C, Strazzeri JM, Aboualizadeh E, Bateman B, Huxlin KR, Hunter JJ, Williams DR, Merigan WH

Translational vision science & technology.. 2020 June 9 (7):16. Epub 06/16/2020.

In vivo-directed evolution of adeno-associated virus in the primate retina.

Byrne LC, Day TP, Visel M, Strazzeri JA, Fortuny C, Dalkara D, Merigan WH, Schaffer DV, Flannery JG

JCI insight.. 2020 May 215 (10)Epub 05/21/2020.

Optogenetic restoration of retinal ganglion cell activity in the living primate.

McGregor JE, Godat T, Dhakal KR, Parkins K, Strazzeri JM, Bateman BA, Fischer WS, Williams DR, Merigan WH

Nature communications.. 2020 April 311 (1):1703. Epub 04/03/2020.

Imaging Retinal Activity in the Living Eye.

Hunter JJ, Merigan WH, Schallek JB

Annual review of vision science.. 2019 September 155 :15-45. Epub 1900 01 01.

Cellular-scale evaluation of induced photoreceptor degeneration in the living primate eye.

Walters S, Schwarz C, Sharma R, Rossi EA, Fischer WS, DiLoreto DA, Strazzeri J, Nelidova D, Roska B, Hunter JJ, Williams DR, Merigan WH

Biomedical optics express.. 2019 January 110 (1):66-82. Epub 12/05/2018.

Functional Assessment of Vision Restoration.

McGregor JE, Williams DR, Merigan WH

Advances in experimental medicine and biology.. 2019 1185 :145-149. Epub 1900 01 01.

All-optical recording and stimulation of retinal neurons in vivo in retinal degeneration mice.

Cheong SK, Strazzeri JM, Williams DR, Merigan WH

PloS one.. 2018 13 (3):e0194947. Epub 03/29/2018.

In Vivo Functional Imaging of Retinal Neurons Using Red and Green Fluorescent Calcium Indicators.

Cheong SK, Xiong W, Strazzeri JM, Cepko CL, Williams DR, Merigan WH

Advances in experimental medicine and biology.. 2018 1074 :135-144. Epub 1900 01 01.

Functional architecture of the foveola revealed in the living primate.

McGregor JE, Yin L, Yang Q, Godat T, Huynh KT, Zhang J, Williams DR, Merigan WH

PloS one.. 2018 13 (11):e0207102. Epub 11/28/2018.

Vision science and adaptive optics, the state of the field.

Marcos S, Werner JS, Burns SA, Merigan WH, Artal P, Atchison DA, Hampson KM, Legras R, Lundstrom L, Yoon G, Carroll J, Choi SS, Doble N, Dubis AM, Dubra A, Elsner A, Jonnal R, Miller DT, Paques M, Smithson HE, Young LK, Zhang Y, Campbell M, Hunter J, Metha A, Palczewska G, Schallek J, Sincich LC

Vision research.. 2017 March 132 :3-33. Epub 02/27/2017.

Antibody neutralization poses a barrier to intravitreal adeno-associated viral vector gene delivery to non-human primates.

Kotterman MA, Yin L, Strazzeri JM, Flannery JG, Merigan WH, Schaffer DV

Gene therapy.. 2015 February 22 (2):116-26. Epub 12/11/2014.

Calibration-free sinusoidal rectification and uniform retinal irradiance in scanning light ophthalmoscopy.

Yang Q, Yin L, Nozato K, Zhang J, Saito K, Merigan WH, Williams DR, Rossi EA

Optics letters.. 2015 January 140 (1):85-8. Epub 1900 01 01.

Imaging light responses of foveal ganglion cells in the living macaque eye.

Yin L, Masella B, Dalkara D, Zhang J, Flannery JG, Schaffer DV, Williams DR, Merigan WH

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 2014 May 734 (19):6596-605. Epub 1900 01 01.

Focal damage to macaque photoreceptors produces persistent visual loss.

Strazzeri JM, Hunter JJ, Masella BD, Yin L, Fischer WS, Diloreto DA, Libby RT, Williams DR, Merigan WH

Experimental eye research.. 2014 February 119 :88-96. Epub 12/05/2013.

In vivo-directed evolution of a new adeno-associated virus for therapeutic outer retinal gene delivery from the vitreous.

Dalkara D, Byrne LC, Klimczak RR, Visel M, Yin L, Merigan WH, Flannery JG, Schaffer DV

Science translational medicine.. 2013 June 125 (189):189ra76. Epub 1900 01 01.

Imaging light responses of retinal ganglion cells in the living mouse eye.

Yin L, Geng Y, Osakada F, Sharma R, Cetin AH, Callaway EM, Williams DR, Merigan WH

Journal of neurophysiology.. 2013 May 109 (9):2415-21. Epub 02/13/2013.

In vivo two-photon imaging of the mouse retina.

Sharma R, Yin L, Geng Y, Merigan WH, Palczewska G, Palczewski K, Williams DR, Hunter JJ

Biomedical optics express.. 2013 4 (8):1285-93. Epub 07/09/2013.

Adaptive optics retinal imaging in the living mouse eye.

Geng Y, Dubra A, Yin L, Merigan WH, Sharma R, Libby RT, Williams DR

Biomedical optics express.. 2012 April 13 (4):715-34. Epub 03/15/2012.

The susceptibility of the retina to photochemical damage from visible light.

Hunter JJ, Morgan JI, Merigan WH, Sliney DH, Sparrow JR, Williams DR

Progress in retinal and eye research.. 2012 January 31 (1):28-42. Epub 11/10/2011.

Intravitreal injection of AAV2 transduces macaque inner retina.

Yin L, Greenberg K, Hunter JJ, Dalkara D, Kolstad KD, Masella BD, Wolfe R, Visel M, Stone D, Libby RT, Diloreto D, Schaffer D, Flannery J, Williams DR, Merigan WH

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 2011 April 2552 (5):2775-83. Epub 04/25/2011.

Imaging retinal mosaics in the living eye.

Rossi EA, Chung M, Dubra A, Hunter JJ, Merigan WH, Williams DR

Eye.. 2011 March 25 (3):301-8. Epub 1900 01 01.

Images of photoreceptors in living primate eyes using adaptive optics two-photon ophthalmoscopy.

Hunter JJ, Masella B, Dubra A, Sharma R, Yin L, Merigan WH, Palczewska G, Palczewski K, Williams DR

Biomedical optics express.. 2010 December 172 (1):139-48. Epub 12/17/2010.

The reduction of retinal autofluorescence caused by light exposure.

Morgan JI, Hunter JJ, Merigan WH, Williams DR

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 2009 December 50 (12):6015-22. Epub 07/23/2009.

In-vivo imaging of retinal nerve fiber layer vasculature: imaging histology comparison.

Scoles D, Gray DC, Hunter JJ, Wolfe R, Gee BP, Geng Y, Masella BD, Libby RT, Russell S, Williams DR, Merigan WH

BMC ophthalmology.. 2009 August 239 :9. Epub 08/23/2009.

In vivo autofluorescence imaging of the human and macaque retinal pigment epithelial cell mosaic.

Morgan JI, Dubra A, Wolfe R, Merigan WH, Williams DR

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 2009 March 50 (3):1350-9. Epub 10/24/2008.

Light-induced retinal changes observed with high-resolution autofluorescence imaging of the retinal pigment epithelium.

Morgan JI, Hunter JJ, Masella B, Wolfe R, Gray DC, Merigan WH, Delori FC, Williams DR

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 2008 August 49 (8):3715-29. Epub 04/11/2008.

In vivo imaging of the fine structure of rhodamine-labeled macaque retinal ganglion cells.

Gray DC, Wolfe R, Gee BP, Scoles D, Geng Y, Masella BD, Dubra A, Luque S, Williams DR, Merigan WH

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 2008 January 49 (1):467-73. Epub 1900 01 01.

Mechanisms of Sensitivity Loss due to Visual Cortex Lesions in Humans and Macaques.

Hayes RD, Merigan WH

Cerebral cortex.. 2007 May 17 (5):1117-28. Epub 06/12/2006.

Unilateral deficits in visual perception and learning after unilateral inferotemporal cortex lesions in macaques.

Merigan WH, Saunders RC

Cerebral cortex.. 2004 August 14 (8):863-71. Epub 04/27/2004.

Effect of parietal lobe lesions on saccade targeting and spatial memory in a naturalistic visual search task.

Shimozaki SS, Hayhoe MM, Zelinsky GJ, Weinstein A, Merigan WH, Ballard DH

Neuropsychologia.. 2003 41 (10):1365-86. Epub 1900 01 01.

Perceptual deficits after lesions of inferotemporal cortex in macaques.

Huxlin KR, Saunders RC, Marchionini D, Pham HA, Merigan WH

Cerebral cortex.. 2000 July 10 (7):671-83. Epub 1900 01 01.

Cortical area V4 is critical for certain texture discriminations, but this effect is not dependent on attention.

Merigan WH

Visual neuroscience.. 2000 17 (6):949-58. Epub 1900 01 01.

Sorting the wheat from the chaff in visual perception.

Merigan WH

Nature neuroscience.. 1999 August 2 (8):690-1. Epub 1900 01 01.

Deficits in complex visual perception following unilateral temporal lobectomy.

Huxlin KR, Merigan WH

Journal of cognitive neuroscience.. 1998 May 10 (3):395-407. Epub 1900 01 01.

V4 lesions in macaques affect both single- and multiple-viewpoint shape discriminations.

Merigan WH, Pham HA

Visual neuroscience.. 1998 15 (2):359-67. Epub 1900 01 01.

Basic visual capacities and shape discrimination after lesions of extrastriate area V4 in macaques.

Merigan WH

Visual neuroscience.. 1996 13 (1):51-60. Epub 1900 01 01.

Motion perception following lesions of the superior temporal sulcus in the monkey.

Pasternak T, Merigan WH

Cerebral cortex.. 1994 4 (3):247-59. Epub 1900 01 01.

Visual effects of lesions of cortical area V2 in macaques.

Merigan WH, Nealey TA, Maunsell JH

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 1993 July 13 (7):3180-91. Epub 1900 01 01.

Colour vision: human V4?

Merigan WH

Current biology : CB.. 1993 April 13 (4):226-9. Epub 1900 01 01.

How parallel are the primate visual pathways?

Merigan WH, Maunsell JH

Annual review of neuroscience.. 1993 16 :369-402. Epub 1900 01 01.

Visual effects of damage to P ganglion cells in macaques.

Lynch JJ, Silveira LC, Perry VH, Merigan WH

Visual neuroscience.. 1992 June 8 (6):575-83. Epub 1900 01 01.

Does primate motion perception depend on the magnocellular pathway?

Merigan WH, Byrne CE, Maunsell JH

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 1991 November 11 (11):3422-9. Epub 1900 01 01.

The effects of parvocellular lateral geniculate lesions on the acuity and contrast sensitivity of macaque monkeys.

Merigan WH, Katz LM, Maunsell JH

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 1991 April 11 (4):994-1001. Epub 1900 01 01.

Macaque vision after magnocellular lateral geniculate lesions.

Merigan WH, Maunsell JH

Visual neuroscience.. 1990 October 5 (4):347-52. Epub 1900 01 01.

Spatial resolution across the macaque retina.

Merigan WH, Katz LM

Vision research.. 1990 30 (7):985-91. Epub 1900 01 01.

Selective degeneration of the parvocellular-projecting retinal ganglion cells in a New World monkey, Saimiri sciureus.

Lynch JJ, Eskin TA, Merigan WH

Brain research.. 1989 October 16499 (2):325-32. Epub 1900 01 01.

Subchronic dosing of macaques with 2,5-hexanedione causes long-lasting motor dysfunction but reversible visual loss.

Lynch JJ, Merigan WH, Eskin TA

Toxicology and applied pharmacology.. 1989 March 1598 (1):166-80. Epub 1900 01 01.

Chromatic and achromatic vision of macaques: role of the P pathway.

Merigan WH

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 1989 March 9 (3):776-83. Epub 1900 01 01.

Carbon disulfide effects on the visual system. II. Retinogeniculate degeneration.

Eskin TA, Merigan WH, Wood RW

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 1988 April 29 (4):519-27. Epub 1900 01 01.

Carbon disulfide effects on the visual system. I. Visual thresholds and ophthalmoscopy.

Merigan WH, Wood RW, Zehl D, Eskin TA

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 1988 April 29 (4):512-8. Epub 1900 01 01.

Selective acrylamide-induced degeneration of color opponent ganglion cells in macaques.

Eskin TA, Merigan WH

Brain research.. 1986 July 23378 (2):379-84. Epub 1900 01 01.

Spatio-temporal vision of macaques with severe loss of P beta retinal ganglion cells.

Merigan WH, Eskin TA

Vision research.. 1986 26 (11):1751-61. Epub 1900 01 01.

Selective damage to large cells in the cat retinogeniculate pathway by 2,5-hexanedione.

Pasternak T, Flood DG, Eskin TA, Merigan WH

The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience.. 1985 June 5 (6):1641-52. Epub 1900 01 01.

Acrylamide effects on the macaque visual system. I. Psychophysics and electrophysiology.

Merigan WH, Barkdoll E, Maurissen JP, Eskin TA, Lapham LW

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 1985 March 26 (3):309-16. Epub 1900 01 01.

Acrylamide effects on the macaque visual system. II. Retinogeniculate morphology.

Eskin TA, Lapham LW, Maurissen JP, Merigan WH

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 1985 March 26 (3):317-29. Epub 1900 01 01.

Recent observations on the neurobehavioral toxicity of carbon disulfide.

Merigan WH, Wood RW, Zehl DN

Neurotoxicology.. 1985 6 (4):81-8. Epub 1900 01 01.

Effects of stimulus speed on direction discriminations.

Pasternak T, Merigan WH

Vision research.. 1984 24 (10):1349-55. Epub 1900 01 01.

Toxicity evaluation needs the intact animal.

Weiss B, Wood RW, Merigan WH

Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences.. 1983 406 :82-91. Epub 1900 01 01.

The role of area centralis in the spatial vision of the cat.

Pasternak T, Merigan WH, Flood DG, Zehl D

Vision research.. 1983 23 (12):1409-16. Epub 1900 01 01.

Neurotoxic actions of methylmercury on the primate visual system.

Merigan WH, Maurissen JP, Weiss B, Eskin T, Lapham LW

Neurobehavioral toxicology and teratology. 1983 5 (6):649-58. Epub 1900 01 01.

Acrylamide-induced visual impairment in primates.

Merigan WH, Barkdoll E, Maurissen JP

Toxicology and applied pharmacology.. 1982 February 62 (2):342-5. Epub 1900 01 01.

Creation of direction selectivity in adult strobe-reared cats.

Pasternak T, Movshon JA, Merigan WH

Nature.. 1981 August 27292 (5826):834-6. Epub 1900 01 01.

Motion mechanisms in strobe-reared cats: psychophysical and electrophysical measures.

Pasternak T, Merigan WH, Movshon JA

Acta psychologica.. 1981 August 48 (1-3):321-32. Epub 1900 01 01.

Spatial and temporal vision of macaques after central retinal lesions.

Merigan WH, Pasternak T, Zehl D

Investigative ophthalmology & visual science.. 1981 July 21 (1 Pt 1):17-26. Epub 1900 01 01.

The luminance dependence of spatial vision in the cat.

Pasternak T, Merigan WH

Vision research.. 1981 21 (9):1333-9. Epub 1900 01 01.

Movement detection by cats: invariance with direction and target configuration.

Pasternak T, Merigan WH

Journal of comparative and physiological psychology.. 1980 October 94 (5):943-52. Epub 1900 01 01.

Temporal modulation sensitivity of macaque monkeys.

Merigan WH

Vision research.. 1980 20 (11):953-9. Epub 1900 01 01.

Abnormal visual resolution of cats reared in stroboscopic illumination.

Pasternak T, Merigan WH

Nature.. 1979 July 26280 (5720):313-4. Epub 1900 01 01.

Effects of toxicants on visual systems.

Merigan WH

Neurobehavioral toxicology. 1979 1 Suppl 1 :15-22. Epub 1900 01 01.

Behavioral effects of carbon monoxide on animals and man.

Laties VG, Merigan WH

Annual review of pharmacology and toxicology.. 1979 19 :357-92. Epub 1900 01 01.

Effects of carbon monoxide on fixed-consecutive-number performance in rats.

Smith MD, Merigan WH, Mcintire RW

Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior.. 1976 September 5 (3):257-62. Epub 1900 01 01.

The effects of brief exposures to carbon monoxide on temporally differentiated responding.

Ator NA, Merigan WH, McIntire RW

Environmental research.. 1976 August 12 (1):75-80. Epub 1900 01 01.

Effects of carbon monoxide on responding under a progressive ratio schedule in rats.

Merigan WH, McIntire RW

Physiology & behavior.. 1976 April 16 (4):407-12. Epub 1900 01 01.

The contrast sensitivity of the squirrel monkey (Saimiri sciureus).

Merigan WH

Vision research.. 1976 16 (4):375-9. Epub 1900 01 01.

Short-component multiple schedules: effects of relative reinforcement duration.

Merigan WH, Miller JS, Gollub LR

Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior.. 1975 September 24 (2):183-9. Epub 1900 01 01.