Dr. Maka Malania, PhD

Research Interests

My research interests lie primarily in the field of brain plasticity. Particularly, I am interested in how the retinal damage affects central visual pathways and the visual cortex in patients with age-related macular degeneration. Another aspect of my research concerns perceptual learning. In my research I apply various methods, ranging from brain imaging techniques such as fMRI, DTI, population receptive field measurements (pRF), to behavioral approaches in experimental psychology as well as, high-resolution retinal imaging technique (optical coherence tomography).

Current research Projects

• Functional topography of the Lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN)

  Recently I got involved in the project that investigates topographic organization of the LGN and its functional subdivisions by means of high-resolution functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) technique.

   

• Cognitive biomarkers of brain disorders

  I focus on validation of cognitive biomarkers for early detecting and monitoring of different psychiatric disorders as well as neurodegenerative diseases. In this study we combine EEG recordings with psychophysical experiments.

Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia

Thanks to financial support from the Shota Rustaveli National Science Foundation of Georgia (http://www.rustaveli.org.ge ) I am visiting the Institute of Experimental Psychology at University of Regensburg and work in a group of Prof. Mark Greenlee.

Journal articles

• Plank, T., Lerner, L., Tuschewski, J., Pawellek, M., Malania, M., & Greenlee, M. W. (2021). Perceptual learning of a crowding task: Effects of anisotropy and optotype. Journal of Vision, 21(11), 1–11. 
• Plank, T., Benkowitsch, E. M. A., Beer, A. L., Brandl, S., Malania, M., Frank, S. M., Jägle, H.,  Greenlee, M. W. (2021). Cortical Thickness Related to Compensatory Viewing Strategies in Patients With Macular Degeneration. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 15:718737. 
• Malania, M., Pawellek, M., Plank, T., Greenlee, M.W. (2020). Training induced changes in radial-tangential anisotropy of visual crowding. Journal of Translational Vision Science & Technology(TVST), 9(9):25.
• Malania, M., Konrad, J., Jägle, J., Werner, J.S., Greenlee, M.W. (2017). Compromised integrity of central visual pathways in patients with macular degeneration. Journal of Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS), 58(7), 2939-2947.
• Strasburger, H., & Malania, M. (2013). Letter-source confusion is a major cause of crowding. Journal of Vision, 13(1):24, 1–20.
• Malania, M., Devinck, F., Knoblauch, K., Delahunt, P.B., Hardy, J.L., & Werner, J.S. (2011). Senescent changes in photopic spatial summation. Journal of Vision, 11(10):15, 1-15.
• Parkosadze, K., Otto, T. U., Malania, M., Kezeli, A., & Herzog, M. H. (2008). Perceptual learning of bisection stimuli under roving: Slow and largely specific. Journal of Vision, 8(1):5, 1-8.
• Malania, M., Herzog, M. H., & Westheimer, G. (2007). Grouping of contextual elements that affect Vernier thresholds. Journal of Vision, 7(2):1, 1-7.
• Janelidze, D., Intskirveli, I., Kezeli, A., Malania, M., Roinishvili, M., Sharikadze, M., & Parkosadze, K. (2004). Information processing in compensatory - correction mechanisms of visual system: conscious or unconscious process? Georgian Journal of Neuroscience, 1, 3, 35-39.
• Sharikadze, M., Malania, M., Tavartkiladze, M., & Kezeli, A. (2002). Angular size illusion, produced on the basis of orientation contingent after-effect. Georgian Journal of Neuroscience, 1, 2, 59-64.

Conference contributions

• Lin, YS., Greenlee, M.W., Malania, M. (2021). Does the training on a visual crowding task alter the population receptive field estimates? Vision Science Society Annual meeting, May 21-26, 2021. 
• Malania, M., Plank, T., Greenlee, M.W. (2018). Radial-tangential anisotropy of visual crowding can be modulated by training. European Conference on Visual Perception (ECVP 2018), Trieste, Italy
• Greenlee, M.W., Malania, M., Traurig, M., Plank, T. (2018) Effect of perceptual training on neural correlates of radial-tangential anisotropy in visual crowding. Vision Science Society (VSS 2018), St. Pete Beach, Florida
• Malania, M., Konrad, J., Jägle, J., Werner, J.S., Greenlee, M.W., (2016). Integrity of central visual pathways in patients with macular degeneration. abstract #529.18/WW6, Society for Neuroscience annual meeting 2016, San Diego
• Greenlee, M.W., Siebertz, M., Rosengarth, K., Malania, M., Plank, T. (2015). fMRI activation of LGN and visual cortex under photopic, mesopic and scotopic luminance levels. Vision Science Society (VSS 2015). J Vis., 1;15(12):254. 
• Malania, M., Chkonia E., Chkhaidze A., Kezeli A., Sharikadze M., Wolf W. (2015). Are schizophrenia patients worse performers of dual-tasking? Insights from motor timing. European Neuropsychopharmacology, 25:349-350. 
• Malania, M., Werner, J. S., & Knoblauch, K. (2013). Senescent changes in spatial summation. Tbilisi International Conference (TIC2013) “Merging Neuroscience and Medicine: Implications for Brain Disorders”, Proceedings of the Georgian National Academy of Sciences, Biomedical Series, vol. 39, 31.
• Strasburger, H., Malania, M. (2013). Reverse asymmetry for whole-letter confusions in crowding. Perception 42, Suppl., ECVP Abstract, 189.
• Malania, M. & Strasburger, H. (2012). Major Cause of Crowding. International Scientific Conference: “Actual Problems in Neurobiology“, Tbilisi, Georgia.
• Malania, M., Werner, J. S., & Knoblauch, K. (2012). Spatial summation and aging. ISTC International Scientific Seminar "Neuroplasticity: Nervous Substrate for Health and Disease. New Approaches for Research", Tbilisi, Georgia.
• Snodderly, D. M., Pocock, G.M., Malania, M., Bosking, W.H., Delori, F.C. & Leung, I. Y-F. Malania, M., & Werner, J.S. (2011). Comparison of Macular Pigment Optical Density Spatial Profiles Measured Using Heterochromatic Flicker Photometry and Two-Wavelength Autofluorescence. ARVO Abstract, 52: E-Abstract 3628.
• Malania, M., Devinck, F., Hardy, J. L., Delahunt, P. B., Knoblauch, K., & Werner, J. S. (2009). Test of senescent change in photopic spatial summation. Journal of Vision VSS Abstract, 9(8):1074.
• Malania, M., & Werner, J.S. (2009). Age-Related Changes in Photopic Spatial Summation, 1st International Conference on Vision and cognition, Tbilisi, Georgia.
• Strasburger, H., & Malania, M. (2008). Source confusion is a major cause of crowding, Perception, ECVP Abstract, 37 Suppl., 82.
• Malania, M., Herzog, M. H., & Westheimer, G. (2006). Grouping of contextual elements that affect Vernier thresholds in the human fovea. Perception, ECVP Abstract, 35 Suppl., 174.
• Malania, M., Otto, T. U., Parkosadze, K., Kezeli, A., & Herzog M. H. (2005). Perceptual learning: No improvement under roving? Perception, ECVP Abstract, 34 Suppl., 75.
• Malania, M., Janelidze, D., Roinishvili, M., & Kezeli, A. (2004). Induction of McCollough effect causes changes in capacity for constant perception of colour. Perception, ECVP Abstract, 33 Suppl., 62b.
• Malania, M., Kezeli, A., & Kezeli, T. (2002). Illusory changes of surface orientation and perception of phantom colours. Conference – Neuroecology and the Visual Brain, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
• Malania, M., Kezeli, A., & Kezeli, T. (2002). The double illusion: A new type of color after-effect. Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology, 443, Suppl. 2, 80.
• Malania, M., Janelidze, D., & Roinishvili, M. (2001). Colour sensitivity function and specific visual adaptation. The Sixth Applied Vision Association Christmas Meeting (AVA), Perception, 31 Suppl.
• Malania, M., Roinishvili, M., & Kezeli, A. (2000). The after-effect determined by a surface orientation. NATO Advanced Study Institute, Modulation of Neural Signaling: Implication for Visual Perception, Nida, Lithuania.