Surgical Simulation Research Wins Award in Morocco

Computing Machinery Symposium on Eye Tracking Research and Applications

The University of Alberta’s Surgical Simulation Research Laboratory (SSRL) has made a major impression on the international stage, securing top honors at the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Symposium on Eye Tracking Research and Applications (ETRA 2026) held in Morocco.

Yao Zhang, a PhD learner at the university, received the prestigious Best Short Paper Award for a cutting-edge project examining the eye movements of plastic surgeons performing complex microsurgical tasks under a microscope.

The award-winning paper, titled "MicroDuet: Dual Microscope Eye Tracking and Joint Visual Attention in Microsurgical Training," was part of a highly successful three-paper showcase by the SSRL team at this year’s symposium. All three papers focused heavily on the intricate eye-hand behaviors of plastic surgeons executing microsurgical suturing.

The full suite of research presented at ACM ETRA 2026 includes:

• MicroDuet: Dual Microscope Eye Tracking and Joint Visual Attention in Microsurgical Training (Short paper; award-winning)

• Under the Microscope: Expert Novice Gaze Differences During Suturing (Long paper published in the Proceedings of the ACM on Human-Computer Interaction)

• Stabilizing FOV Under the Microscope: Towards Eye-Hand Coordination in Motor-Control Tasks (Short paper)

A Global Collaboration

The success highlights a robust international partnership led by Dr. Bin Zheng’s SSRL alongside computing scientists from the University of Eastern Finland (UEF). Key contributors to this global effort include Dr. Eric Fung, a surgeon in the U of A’s Department of Surgery, and UEF researcher Salman Khalil, both of whom have been instrumental in driving the microsurgery eye-tracking research series forward.

Dr. Fung plays a multifaceted role at the university, serving as a vital collaborator, co-author, and hands-on surgical coach for student training programs within the SSRL.

Broader Success in Surgical Training

The SSRL's momentum extends beyond eye-tracking technology. Team member Yun Wu also recently celebrated a major academic milestone with a new publication in the Canadian Journal of Surgery.

Wu’s paper, titled "Workload-Adapted Laparoscopic Training: A Trade-off Between In-training Gains and Post-training Skill Transfer," furthers the lab's mission to optimize how future surgeons acquire and transfer high-stakes technical skills.

Together, these consecutive achievements underscore the University of Alberta's growing leadership in merging technology, international collaboration, and surgical education to improve medical training worldwide.