In the Winter 2026 edition of Acuity, we began to look at the health insights afforded by oculomics, the field of medical science combining advanced eye imaging, large-scale data analysis and artificial intelligence (AI) to identify systemic conditions. But research is showing how the study of other “omics”-based biomarkers, such as genomics (studying the totality of DNA) and exposomics (which looks at environmental exposures) can be combined with ocular data to gain a holistic understanding of complex biological systems. This comprehensive approach can be described as multiomics. 

Though its direct applications in optometric practice are still developing, it’s important for optometrists to be aware how multiomics may come to affect future practice. “As oculomics evolves to encompass linked genomic data, the combined approach holds the potential for a transformative impact on healthcare,” says Pearse Keane, Professor of Artificial Medical Intelligence at University College London (UCL) and Consultant Ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital. “Although a genomics-enriched AI system will not necessarily require specialist knowledge for interpreting an OCT [optical coherence tomography] scan, it will be important for optometrists to be aware of how the “omics” relate to the eye, particularly for patient communication.”

Acuity Clinical Editor Chris Steele FCOptom agrees. “Optometrists are often the first point of contact in a person’s healthcare journey, so it’s important they understand how the eye can reveal changes that reflect overall health. Oculomics and multiomics research is opening up exciting new ways to detect systemic diseases earlier, just by identifying subtle changes in the eye. Being aware of these developments helps optometrists stay at the forefront of both eye and general healthcare.”