Mark Changizi: Founder and CEO in Columbus, OH

Lab and consulting firm bringing cutting edge insights from the cognitive sciences to the next generation of human-centered technology. Has worked with more than 50 companies, with applications in human factors, consumer experience, UX / human-machine interface, affective computing, health, cosmetics, entertainment, movies, video games.

The company emanates from a major 2006 discovery of his that primate red-green vision evolved for detecting oxygenation modulations of blood under the skin so that primates could see emotions, health and state. Out of that discovery, he and a colleague were able to patent the first (and only) optical filter technology that passively enhances visibility of these oxygenation modulations, as well as related technology. VINO OPTICS serves two main markets. (1) Medical personnel wear our vein glasses, protective eyewear that enhances visibility of veins and health signs. They also sell distinct technology that enhances visibility of bruising and blood pooling under the skin. Their vein glasses technology has been shown to work in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services. (2) Colorblind people wear one of their technologies, which enhances the signal that red-green vision is for, and that color deficients are deficient at. Unlike their competitors, their tech has been shown to aid colorblindness in Invest Ophth Vis Sci. In addition to CEO, Mark is also the director of marketing and PR, which has led to tens of thousands of sales, hundreds of testimonials, and coverage in hundreds of magazines and news stories, including the New York Times.

Invited by MONA founder, David Walsh, to be one of four external guest curators for a six month exhibition, On the Origin of Art, at his famous art museum in Hobart, Australia. The show had international press, and highlighted Mark’s research on the origins of writing, speech, music, and the arts. It led to a joint book with the same title with the other invited guest curators, Steven Pinker, Geoffrey Miller, and Brian Boyd. Mark's exhibition concerned his research on technologies that enhance the consumer experience.

Researcher in cognitive science, as well as two courses per semester teaching. Many publications while here, as well as his first trade (i.e., non-academic-monograph) book, VISION rEVOLUTION, about the function and design of vision, covering many of his own discoveries in the area of visual perception, including why we evolved color vision, why we see illusions, why some animals (like us) have forward-facing eyes, how we came to have writing. Directed a team of researchers in his lab.