Research

College research projects help to build a scientific evidence base that informs and influences College and national policies.

“The Undergraduate Research Scholarship has had a profound impact on my academic and professional development. It has equipped me with essential skills in interdisciplinary collaboration, script writing, and experiment design.”

“This scholarship has not only enhanced my confidence in research but has also opened my eyes to the possibilities of contributing to the field.”

Ifeoluwa Adeleke, Undergraduate Research Scholarship recipient

In the news

From celebrating new graduates to launching our five-year plan, the final months of 2025 marked a powerful step toward the future of eye care.

Latest in Acuity

As we leave summer behind and head towards winter, growing demands on the NHS will no doubt fill news headlines.

Online CPD

Online CPD courses for eye health professionals in collaboration with Ulster University and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR).

Access our journal

The College of Optometrists’ research journal, OPO, has been the world’s top ranked optometry since 2014.

More on research

Adrian O’Dowd explores the more uncommon ocular side effects of newer pharmacological treatments and how to identify them.

Here we summarise three research papers from a recent issue of Optometry in Practice.

Evaporative dry eye resulting from meibomian gland dysfunction has been difficult to treat, writes Kim Thomas. But intense pulsed light therapy is being increasingly deployed to tackle it. So does it really work?

The glaucoma expert on his research and educating the next generation.

The college's key achievements in 2020-21: inspiring, informing and supporting optometrists, patients and the public.

Our research strategy sets out how the College will approach research over the next few years and the key challenges it may face.

The College’s Research Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate the achievements in optometric research, and how they enrich the profession.

Kathy Oxtoby looks at what qualitative research adds to clinical evidence and how it provides human insights that can’t be measured in numbers.