The College of Optometrists

25 May 2007

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Each year, as a core element of its research activity, the College of Optometrists awards a number of Postgraduate Scholarships and Summer Scholarships. Over the past 10 years alone, the value of these scholarships has totalled more than £800,000 and of those awarded PhD scholarships, approximately 50% have gone on to an academic career.

The College’s Research Committee recently met to consider applications for Postgraduate and Summer Research scholarships.

Postgraduate Scholarships are made in support of research work in optometry or a closely related subject and are granted to postgraduate students working and registered for the award of a higher degree.

For 2007 the College has awarded four postgraduate scholarships:

Institution	Supervisor	Title of Study
Anglia Ruskin University	Dr Keziah Latham	Understanding self-reported visual performance in activities of daily living in the visually impaired
University of Bradford	Dr Edward Mallen	Ergonomic and temporal factors in nearwork-induced transient myopia
Glasgow Caledonian University	Prof. Daphne McCulloch	Near Infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) of the primary visual cortex in adults and neonates
University of Manchester	Prof. David Henson	Diagnostic imaging in glaucoma: improving performance in primary eye care

The aim of the Summer Scholarships is to encourage optometry undergraduate students in the UK, usually in the penultimate year of their course, and expected to achieve a first or upper second-class honours degree, to consider a career in research or academia. The scholarships last for eight weeks and sponsor a short period of experience in an active research laboratory. Students are assigned to a project working under the direct supervision of a postdoctoral (or more senior) supervisor and receive an introduction to research at postgraduate level.

For 2007 the College has awarded four summer scholarships:

 

Institution	Supervisor	Title of Study
Aston University	Dr James Wolffsohn	Depth of Focus and Accommodative Response in Human Eyes as Objectively Assessed by Ocular Aberrations
University of Bradford	Dr Brendan Barrett	The Contribution of the amblyopic eye to habitual visual functioning
Cardiff University	Dr Rachel North	Multimodal retinal imaging in the diagnosis of glaucoma
University of Ulster	Dr Jan Lauritzen	Psychophysical assessment of non refractive optical defects in healthy adults

Dr Cindy Tromans, Chairperson of the College’s Research Committee said, “Supporting research in this way continues to be a key aspect of the College’s role and strategy. The standard of applications for both Postgraduate and Summer Research scholarships was particularly high this year and the committee debated long and hard before deciding on the successful applicants.”