Harnessing contact lens design to optimise optics and vision through corneal refractive reshaping. Development of innovative OK lens designs to correct presbyopia and astigmatism, optimised for visual performance through manipulation of optical aberrations, will place Australian rigid contact lens manufacturing at the international forefront of OK lens production. Lens designs to control myopia progression will strategically position Australian lens manufacturing to capitalise on the potential m ....Harnessing contact lens design to optimise optics and vision through corneal refractive reshaping. Development of innovative OK lens designs to correct presbyopia and astigmatism, optimised for visual performance through manipulation of optical aberrations, will place Australian rigid contact lens manufacturing at the international forefront of OK lens production. Lens designs to control myopia progression will strategically position Australian lens manufacturing to capitalise on the potential market in Asia, where myopia is prevalent. Significant intellectual property will be generated for Australia through greater understanding of OK lens design manipulation to optimise visual outcomes. This project promises to enhance the international reputation of UNSW researchers, keeping Australian science at the forefront of this research area.Read moreRead less
Developing innovative contact lens designs and materials for effective and safe corneal refractive reshaping. Despite the increasing prevalence of refractive errors, there are limited options available for refractive error correction. Current contact lens designs for orthokeratology, a corneal reshaping technique which temporarily reduces refractive error, are effective for correcting only low to moderate myopia (short-sightedness). In this project, we will use innovative lens design approache ....Developing innovative contact lens designs and materials for effective and safe corneal refractive reshaping. Despite the increasing prevalence of refractive errors, there are limited options available for refractive error correction. Current contact lens designs for orthokeratology, a corneal reshaping technique which temporarily reduces refractive error, are effective for correcting only low to moderate myopia (short-sightedness). In this project, we will use innovative lens design approaches that harness the fluid forces generated in the post-lens tear film, and modulation of the corneal tissue response to these pressures, to develop novel contact lens designs in appropriate lens materials for effective and safe corneal reshaping to correct a wide range of refractive errors.Read moreRead less
The future of corneal refractive reshaping: can we control myopia or is the risk of corneal compromise too great? Refinement of corneal reshaping lens designs, optimised for visual outcomes through manipulation of aberrations, will significantly benefit local contact lens manufacturing and export by expanding the existing market base. This research will also strategically position Australian lens manufacturing to capitalise on the market for myopia-control contact lenses, particularly in the As ....The future of corneal refractive reshaping: can we control myopia or is the risk of corneal compromise too great? Refinement of corneal reshaping lens designs, optimised for visual outcomes through manipulation of aberrations, will significantly benefit local contact lens manufacturing and export by expanding the existing market base. This research will also strategically position Australian lens manufacturing to capitalise on the market for myopia-control contact lenses, particularly in the Asian region. Significant intellectual property will be generated for Australia in terms of enhanced understanding of the role of manipulation of corneal shape in modulating progressive myopia. Outcomes from this project will enhance the international reputation of the UNSW research group, keeping Australian science at the forefront of this area of research.Read moreRead less
Functional pathways in primate retina. When light enters the eye, specialised nerve cells called photoreceptors transform the light signal into nerve signals. These signals are processed in the retina by two groups of neurones, bipolar and ganglion cells before being sent to higher brain centres. Bipolar and ganglion cells can be subdivided into several types. We will measure which types communicate with each other and which proteins (neurotransmitter receptors) are involved at the site of commu ....Functional pathways in primate retina. When light enters the eye, specialised nerve cells called photoreceptors transform the light signal into nerve signals. These signals are processed in the retina by two groups of neurones, bipolar and ganglion cells before being sent to higher brain centres. Bipolar and ganglion cells can be subdivided into several types. We will measure which types communicate with each other and which proteins (neurotransmitter receptors) are involved at the site of communication between these nerve cells. This study will improve our knowledge of the basis of functional subspecialisation at the earliest stages of the visual process.Read moreRead less
Understanding and Modelling Insect Motion Vision. The interdisciplinary project proposed will offer a stimulating environment for research/training into computational neuroscience, an attractive area for aspiring scientists. We have already demonstrated the feasibility of transferring physiology into applications, and expect this project to deliver functional motion vision models and devices. Our proposed work will have an impact beyond the advancement of neuro-physiology as knowledge gained is ....Understanding and Modelling Insect Motion Vision. The interdisciplinary project proposed will offer a stimulating environment for research/training into computational neuroscience, an attractive area for aspiring scientists. We have already demonstrated the feasibility of transferring physiology into applications, and expect this project to deliver functional motion vision models and devices. Our proposed work will have an impact beyond the advancement of neuro-physiology as knowledge gained is applicable in a range of areas, with applications in miniature unmanned vehicles and collision avoidance detectors in defence and civilian roles. Our project could also assist in the development of artificial intelligence and as a basis for designing implantable artificial eyes.Read moreRead less
Target detection in visual clutter. The interdisciplinary nature of the project will offer a stimulating environment for training a postdoctoral worker in the hot topic of computational neuroscience. While computationally expensive solutions to moving target detection in clutter have been implemented using conventional engineering, this project will offer insight into the efficiency of the biological brain (with benefit of millions of years of evolution towards compact, economical and optimal so ....Target detection in visual clutter. The interdisciplinary nature of the project will offer a stimulating environment for training a postdoctoral worker in the hot topic of computational neuroscience. While computationally expensive solutions to moving target detection in clutter have been implemented using conventional engineering, this project will offer insight into the efficiency of the biological brain (with benefit of millions of years of evolution towards compact, economical and optimal solutions). The results will assist development of efficient artificial intelligence. It will also assist our ongoing collaborations with defence partners to develop and apply algorithms in artificial vision systems. Read moreRead less
Suction pipette measurements of mammalian rod photoreceptor recovery following intense bleaching exposures. The aim of this project is to discover the events and processes that prevent retinal photoreceptors from recovering instantaneously following the cessation of exposure to extremely bright illumination. Recordings will be made from single rod photoreceptors cells isolated from the mammalian retina. The work will uncover the relative roles of the 'photoproducts' created when rhodopsin abso ....Suction pipette measurements of mammalian rod photoreceptor recovery following intense bleaching exposures. The aim of this project is to discover the events and processes that prevent retinal photoreceptors from recovering instantaneously following the cessation of exposure to extremely bright illumination. Recordings will be made from single rod photoreceptors cells isolated from the mammalian retina. The work will uncover the relative roles of the 'photoproducts' created when rhodopsin absorbs light: e.g. intermediates such as metarhodopsin and opsin. The molecular knowledge obtained will help us to understand why it is that the visual system recovers so slowly after the eye has experienced very intense light.Read moreRead less
The first stage of vision: transduction and adaptation in retinal photoreceptors. The project aims to provide a detailed understanding of the molecular steps involved in the first stage of vision - the conversion of light into a neural signal in the rod and cone photoreceptors of the retina. The significance of this is that it will explain the initial events that enable us to see, and will help explain the deficits that occur when the process fails. The outcome will be a comprehensive understand ....The first stage of vision: transduction and adaptation in retinal photoreceptors. The project aims to provide a detailed understanding of the molecular steps involved in the first stage of vision - the conversion of light into a neural signal in the rod and cone photoreceptors of the retina. The significance of this is that it will explain the initial events that enable us to see, and will help explain the deficits that occur when the process fails. The outcome will be a comprehensive understanding of how our photoreceptors respond with extreme sensitivity, yet great rapidity, and over an enormous range of light intensities, thus endowing us with our remarkable sense of vision.Read moreRead less
Functional imaging of colour pathways in the living eye. In order to repair or regenerate a diseased eye, we require knowledge of the normal pattern or nerve cell connections, and knowing how biology solves the problem of colour vision can be used to improve the design of artificial vision systems. The adaptive optics machine we will build in this project can be used to image nerve cells, fine blood vessels, and nerve fibre bundles in the normal and diseased eye. This will improve Australia's re ....Functional imaging of colour pathways in the living eye. In order to repair or regenerate a diseased eye, we require knowledge of the normal pattern or nerve cell connections, and knowing how biology solves the problem of colour vision can be used to improve the design of artificial vision systems. The adaptive optics machine we will build in this project can be used to image nerve cells, fine blood vessels, and nerve fibre bundles in the normal and diseased eye. This will improve Australia's research and development capacity in this new area of medical diagnostics. Our machine will be made available to other Australian laboratories and will improve the national capacity for making further scientific discoveries about how the visual system works.Read moreRead less
A lossy compression paradigm for sensory neural coding. By applying new interdisciplinary theoretical results, this research aims to enhance our understanding of how the ear turns sounds into electrical signals in the presence of high levels of random noise. Socio-economic benefits to Australia include: (i) contributions to the knowledge base of theoretical neuroscience, and communications systems, enhancing Australia's reputation for cutting-edge research; (ii) strengthening of European interna ....A lossy compression paradigm for sensory neural coding. By applying new interdisciplinary theoretical results, this research aims to enhance our understanding of how the ear turns sounds into electrical signals in the presence of high levels of random noise. Socio-economic benefits to Australia include: (i) contributions to the knowledge base of theoretical neuroscience, and communications systems, enhancing Australia's reputation for cutting-edge research; (ii) strengthening of European international collaborations; (iii) outcomes that will ultimately impact on improved designs for bionic ears and future biomedical prosthetics; and (iv) commercialisation and technology transfer opportunities, via the transfer of results to wireless artificial sensor networks.Read moreRead less