Triaging myopia and The College’s Research Excellence Awards

Hosted by College Immediate Past President, Professor Ed Mallen MCOptom, this session will focus on the findings from the part College-funded Northern Ireland Childhood Errors of Refraction (NICER) Study and how it can help you talk to children at risk of myopia and their parents.

The NICER Study has produced unique, longitudinal data from a large group of UK children describing the development of individual children’s refractive error (under cycloplegia) and eye growth over a nine-year period. Some key findings about predictive factors for myopia were published in September 2020. This session will cover the key elements of the work, messages for members, and introduce some useful charts to support your myopia discussions in practice.

The session will also include the presentation of the College’s Research Excellence Awards, celebrating outstanding contributions to research in the fields of optometry, optics and vision science, and the chance to hear a little about their excellent work.

Please note this session does not provide CET points.

Dr Lesley Doyle MCOptom Prof Cert Med Ret

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Dr Lesley Doyle MCOptom Prof Cert Med Ret

Dr Lesley Doyle is a Research Associate in Optometry and Vision Science at Ulster University and is a co-investigator on the Northern Ireland Childhood Errors of Refraction (NICER) study investigating the progression of refractive error in children and young adults in Northern Ireland. She is also a member of the Northern Ireland Clinical Research Network (NICRN) Vision Team based within the Belfast Health & Social Care Trust. Lesley completed her PhD at Ulster University in 2015 under the supervision of Professor Kathryn Saunders and Dr Julie-Anne Little investigating the accommodative function in children with DS.  

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Dr Sara McCullough MCOptom Prof Cert Glaucoma

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Dr Sara McCullough MCOptom Prof Cert Glaucoma

Dr Sara McCullough is a lecturer in Optometry and Vision Science at Ulster University. Her research interests include myopia and other refractive errors in childhood and she is a co-investigator on the Northern Ireland Childhood Errors of Refraction (NICER) study, the largest prospective study of eyes and vision in childhood in the UK and Ireland. The study aims to predict the refractive error outcome for a child depending on their family history, visual activity and ocular biometry to help inform clinicians of those individuals most at risk of developing significant refractive error, particularly myopia. Sara currently teaches the Binocular Vision and Orthoptics module and coordinates the Integrated Masters for the undergraduate Optometry programme at Ulster. She is also a Research Advisor for The College of Optometrists and an examiner and assessor for the College’s Scheme for Registration.  

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Professor Kathryn Saunders FCOptom

Professor of Optometry and Vision Science
Ulster University

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Professor Kathryn Saunders FCOptom

Professor of Optometry and Vision Science, Ulster University

Kathryn Saunders is a Professor of Optometry and Vision Science at Ulster University in Northern Ireland. Her research interests include the development of refractive error in infancy and childhood in typically developing children and in the presence of developmental disability.  She has lead the Northern Ireland Childhood Errors of Refraction (NICER) study, a large longitudinal epidemiological study of refractive error, for the past 12 years. The NICER study has provided new insight into the prevalence, onset and progression of myopia in modern school age children living in the UK. She remains a practising optometrist with a strong interest in translational research which improves vision care and visual outcomes for people with and without special needs.

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There is a limited capacity so bookings are taken on a first come, first served basis.

This session will be run on Zoom and you will be emailed the joining link on the morning of the event.

If you have any queries, please email events@college-optometrists.org