David Williams is Allyn Professor

Williams studies how eyes gather light and transmit impulses to the brain, and how the brain interprets those impulses so we can see. His research focuses on the retina, the screen inside the eye that converts light into electrical impulses.

The work has allowed scientists to see the inside of the human eye better than ever before and eventually could help physicians better diagnose and treat eye diseases such as macular degeneration and retinitis pigmentosa, two leading causes of blindness.

Williams, who joined the University in 1981, directs the Center for Visual Science, one of the world's leading centers for the study of vision. He is also a member of the faculty in the departments of brain and cognitive sciences, optics, and ophthalmology.

He is a fellow of the Optical Society of America and was honored by the American Psychological Association in 1986 for his significant contributions to psychology early in his career.