Walker, Mark MD

Dr. Mark F. Walker is a fellowship-trained neuro-otologist with extensive clinical and research expertise in the neurophysiology of eye movements, vestibular reflexes, and their disruption by neurological disease.

His work spans cerebellar control of the vestibulo-ocular reflex, translational vestibulo-ocular reflex physiology, three-dimensional eye movement kinematics, binocular coordination, and the application of virtual reality to diagnosis and rehabilitation of ocular motor disorders. He has directed the Daroff-Dell’Osso Ocular Motility Laboratory and has served veterans with traumatic brain injury through a weekly vestibular clinic and polytrauma team for nearly two decades.

Dr. Walker’s current translational work focuses on developing virtual-reality and custom computer game tools to diagnose, study, and treat vestibular dysfunction and convergence impairment, particularly in individuals with traumatic brain injury.

RESEARCH PROGRAMS

• Nerebellar control of eye movements and vestibulo-ocular reflexes
• Translational vestibulo-ocular reflex (TVOR) physiology
• Three-dimensional kinematics of eye movements and ocular torsion
• Neural control of eye alignment and binocular coordination
• Virtual reality tools for diagnosis and rehabilitation of ocular motor and vestibular disorders.

MAJOR PROJECTS & FUNDING

• VA Merit Award, Virtual reality and computer game tools for vestibular dysfunction and convergence impairment in TBI veteransn.
• VA SPiRE Project (Small Project in Rehabilitatin), Development and testing of custom VR games for vestibulo-ocular reflex training
• Covert tracking in comatose TBI patients,video eye tracking studies to detect consciousness and predict recovery
• Convergence insufficiency in veterans with TBI, virtual reality assessment of stereoacuity and near vision symptoms
• Daroff-Dell’Osso Ocular Motility Laboratory — Director; state-of-the-art facility with motion platform, magnetic-field, infrared video, and VR eye movement recording systems