BOSTON— Dr. Eli Peli, a senior scientist at Schepens Eye Research Institute, has been selected by the Society for Information Display (SID) for the Otto Schade Prize. Peli was chosen "for his many outstanding contributions to vision science and its application to image quality evaluation and enhancement, including pioneering efforts in improving display performance for populations with special visual needs," according to the prize citation.

Dr. Chris King, SID Honors and Awards Chair said, "Professor Eli Peli was chosen for his work, which has used vision science to improve both the image quality of electronic displays and the visual performance of those with special visual needs."

SID which focuses on the display industry, is honoring Peli because of his many innovations using the latest image processing and information display technologies in new ways. To help patients with tunnel vision, Peli created a pair of high-tech glasses that display a cartoon-like minified view of missing parts of the patient's visual field, while also allowing a normal central view of the surroundings. Peli has also pioneered and refined techniques to modify television displays to improve contrast to help those with macular degeneration. He also implemented innovative methods for the evaluation of contrast in images and the measurement of perceived image quality, the subject of this prestigious prize.

A dedicated clinician, Peli has been the director of the Vision Rehabilitation Service at Tufts-Medical Center in Boston since 1983. He is co-director of Research at Schepens Eye Research Institute and is also a professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and serves on the faculties of the New England College of Optometry, Tufts University School of Medicine, the University of York in the U.K., and Dalian Maritime University in China.