Michael F. Land
Encyclopedia
Michael Francis Land FRS (born 1942) is a British neurobiologist. He is currently Emeritus Professor of Neurobiology in the Sussex Vision laboratory at the Sussex Centre for Neuroscience, University of Sussex
, England.
Land's research has been on different aspects of animal and human vision. His interests were in the optics
of the eyes of marine animals, including scallops, shrimps and deep-water crustacean
s. He also studied visual behaviour in spiders and insects, particularly during pursuit. This led to an interest in eye movement in animals and later in man.
Land's group in Sussex is now mainly concerned with the role of eye movement in human activities such as driving, music reading and ball games. In 2000 for example Land and a colleague reported their finding that in cricket
, within 200 milliseconds after a ball leaves a bowler's hand, the best batsmen will take their eyes off the ball and look ahead to the point where they have calculated it will bounce (see also Land & McLeod (2000) in bibliography).
Other work is on the processing of visual information by the retina
s of mosquitoes.
, from 1950 to 1960 Land attended Birkenhead School
, a direct grant school, on the Wirral
in Cheshire
. From here he went to the University of Cambridge
where he studied Zoology
, graduating in 1963. A PhD in Neurophysiology
at University College London
(UCL) followed, completed in 1968. It was at UCL that Land began his research into human and animal vision.
, in 1969 Land became assistant professor of Physiology at University of California, Berkeley
. He returned to the UK in 1971, taking up a post as Lecturer in Neurobiology at the University of Sussex. Here he was appointed Reader
in 1977. After being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1982 he was appointed Professor in 1984. He was also a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University
, Canberra from 1982 to 1984. In 1994 he received the Frink Medal
of the Zoological Society of London
, and in 1996 the Alcon
Prize for vision research. Land retired from full time academic work in 2005 and is now Emeritus Professor of Neurobiology at Sussex.
University of Sussex
The University of Sussex is an English public research university situated next to the East Sussex village of Falmer, within the city of Brighton and Hove. The University received its Royal Charter in August 1961....
, England.
Land's research has been on different aspects of animal and human vision. His interests were in the optics
Optics
Optics is the branch of physics which involves the behavior and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behavior of visible, ultraviolet, and infrared light...
of the eyes of marine animals, including scallops, shrimps and deep-water crustacean
Crustacean
Crustaceans form a very large group of arthropods, usually treated as a subphylum, which includes such familiar animals as crabs, lobsters, crayfish, shrimp, krill and barnacles. The 50,000 described species range in size from Stygotantulus stocki at , to the Japanese spider crab with a leg span...
s. He also studied visual behaviour in spiders and insects, particularly during pursuit. This led to an interest in eye movement in animals and later in man.
Land's group in Sussex is now mainly concerned with the role of eye movement in human activities such as driving, music reading and ball games. In 2000 for example Land and a colleague reported their finding that in cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, within 200 milliseconds after a ball leaves a bowler's hand, the best batsmen will take their eyes off the ball and look ahead to the point where they have calculated it will bounce (see also Land & McLeod (2000) in bibliography).
Other work is on the processing of visual information by the retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
s of mosquitoes.
Education
The son of Professor Frank William LandFrank William Land
Frank William Land was a populariser of mathematics, and Professor of Mathematics at Hull University.He was lecturer at the College of St Mark and St John in Chelsea with Cyril Bibby, whom he later followed to Hull where he worked with Bill Cockcroft.Marcus du Sautoy describes Land's book "The...
, from 1950 to 1960 Land attended Birkenhead School
Birkenhead School
Birkenhead School is an independent, selective, co-educational school located on the Wirral Peninsula in the northwest of England. It is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference.-Overview:The school is subdivided into...
, a direct grant school, on the Wirral
Wirral Peninsula
Wirral or the Wirral is a peninsula in North West England. It is bounded by three bodies of water: to the west by the River Dee, forming a boundary with Wales, to the east by the River Mersey and to the north by the Irish Sea. Both terms "Wirral" and "the Wirral" are used locally , although the...
in Cheshire
Cheshire
Cheshire is a ceremonial county in North West England. Cheshire's county town is the city of Chester, although its largest town is Warrington. Other major towns include Widnes, Congleton, Crewe, Ellesmere Port, Runcorn, Macclesfield, Winsford, Northwich, and Wilmslow...
. From here he went to the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
where he studied Zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
, graduating in 1963. A PhD in Neurophysiology
Neurophysiology
Neurophysiology is a part of physiology. Neurophysiology is the study of nervous system function...
at University College London
University College London
University College London is a public research university located in London, United Kingdom and the oldest and largest constituent college of the federal University of London...
(UCL) followed, completed in 1968. It was at UCL that Land began his research into human and animal vision.
Academic career
After completing his PhD at UCL, where he had been an assistant lecturer in PhysiologyPhysiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...
, in 1969 Land became assistant professor of Physiology at University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. He returned to the UK in 1971, taking up a post as Lecturer in Neurobiology at the University of Sussex. Here he was appointed Reader
Reader (academic rank)
The title of Reader in the United Kingdom and some universities in the Commonwealth nations like Australia and New Zealand denotes an appointment for a senior academic with a distinguished international reputation in research or scholarship...
in 1977. After being elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1982 he was appointed Professor in 1984. He was also a Senior Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University
Australian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
, Canberra from 1982 to 1984. In 1994 he received the Frink Medal
Frink Medal
The Frink Medal for British Zoologists is awarded by the Zoological Society of London "For significant and original contributions by a professional zoologist to the development of zoology in the wider applications."- Recipients :...
of the Zoological Society of London
Zoological Society of London
The Zoological Society of London is a charity devoted to the worldwide conservation of animals and their habitats...
, and in 1996 the Alcon
Alcon
Alcon incorporated and with corporate headquarters, in Hünenberg, Switzerland, is a global medical company specializing in eye care products. Alcon's U.S. headquarters is located in Fort Worth, Texas...
Prize for vision research. Land retired from full time academic work in 2005 and is now Emeritus Professor of Neurobiology at Sussex.