Involvement of the Human Retinal Endothelial Cell in Blinding Eye Disease. Endothelial cells line the blood vessels of the vascular networks that circulate blood through the tissues. The molecular constitution of each endothelial cell is different and specific to function, but may predispose to tissue-specific disease. Retinal endothelial cells ensure the nutrition and protection of a tissue critical to vision, but are key participants in retinal ischemic, inflammatory and infectious diseases th ....Involvement of the Human Retinal Endothelial Cell in Blinding Eye Disease. Endothelial cells line the blood vessels of the vascular networks that circulate blood through the tissues. The molecular constitution of each endothelial cell is different and specific to function, but may predispose to tissue-specific disease. Retinal endothelial cells ensure the nutrition and protection of a tissue critical to vision, but are key participants in retinal ischemic, inflammatory and infectious diseases that threaten vision. This project will investigate molecular activities of retinal endothelial cells that are relevant to retinal disease processes and explore future biological therapies directed against the human retinal endothelial cell that address efficacy and safety deficiencies of current treatments.Read moreRead less
Removing the blinkers: a wider study of the human eye. Peripheral aberrations, wide-field retinal imaging and optical parameters. This project will study peripheral (side vision) optics of the human eye and its role in the limits of visual performance. This will improve ocular measurements and contribute towards improved diagnosis and treatment of ocular diseases and short-sightedness.
Advanced methods for intraocular imaging. The ability to image the retina of the human eye at high resolution is fundamental to improving understanding of ocular physiology, ocular optics and disease diagnosis. This project applies the relatively new application of active optics to vision science. This project will investigate the advantages of using new beam shaping techniques for characterising the optics of the eye, improving retinal imagery and improving fixation stability. This project will ....Advanced methods for intraocular imaging. The ability to image the retina of the human eye at high resolution is fundamental to improving understanding of ocular physiology, ocular optics and disease diagnosis. This project applies the relatively new application of active optics to vision science. This project will investigate the advantages of using new beam shaping techniques for characterising the optics of the eye, improving retinal imagery and improving fixation stability. This project will achieve three-dimensional holography of human eyes and develop holography plates for correcting the aberrations of eyes. Expected outcomes are not-before experienced resolution images of the retina and better understanding of the optical characteristics of the refractive surfaces and media in the eye.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101434
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
The role of outdoor activity in myopia development. It has recently been found that spending more time outdoors may reduce the risk of developing short sightedness. This project will examine the underlying basis of these associations and improve understanding of environmental factors involved in the cause of short sightedness, an eye problem that is a major cause of vision impairment globally.
Personalising the management of diabetes care in non-English speaking Australian adults with diabetic retinopathy. Reducing the public health burden of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy for non-English speaking Australians is a major challenge for health care providers, researchers, and health policy makers. In addition to improving self care, eye health, and quality of life, this intervention has considerable potential to deliver substantial savings to the Australian community. It will also pro ....Personalising the management of diabetes care in non-English speaking Australian adults with diabetic retinopathy. Reducing the public health burden of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy for non-English speaking Australians is a major challenge for health care providers, researchers, and health policy makers. In addition to improving self care, eye health, and quality of life, this intervention has considerable potential to deliver substantial savings to the Australian community. It will also provide a novel and valid diabetes management program and contribute to future health policies related to personnel, resources and funding allocated to diabetes, eye care, and rehabilitation. This project will raise the skill of existing diabetes educators and serve to generate closer coordination of care between tertiary eye care services and primary care settings.Read moreRead less
Developing tests for the early detection of eye disease. Australians have a tradition of innovative design in perimetry. A good example being the Frequency Doubling Technology produced from work performed at the Australian National University. This technology, however, is manufactured by an overseas company (Welch Allyn, NY, USA). The Medmont company is a local perimeter manufacturer and we hope to improve their product with innovative design to yield a distinct marketing advantage. We will cons ....Developing tests for the early detection of eye disease. Australians have a tradition of innovative design in perimetry. A good example being the Frequency Doubling Technology produced from work performed at the Australian National University. This technology, however, is manufactured by an overseas company (Welch Allyn, NY, USA). The Medmont company is a local perimeter manufacturer and we hope to improve their product with innovative design to yield a distinct marketing advantage. We will consider the fundamental issues underlying cone-interactions and methods that stress retinal function. We believe that this approach will have advantages over conventional techniques and prove more sensitive for the early detection of eye disease. However, this is a high risk venture requiring substantial developmental cost and technical commitment by the company. Successful innovation will enhance the company's international penetration, continue the trend for Australians to be seen as leaders in this field and have impact on eye care.Read moreRead less
Sensory impairments and driving: can older drivers cope with distracters? This research adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the problems of older drivers, and drivers in general. The research will provide a clear understanding of how visual and auditory distracters impact upon the driving behaviour and safety of individuals with vision and hearing impairment and those experiencing age-related declines in cognitive skills. The research is highly significant in terms of improving o ....Sensory impairments and driving: can older drivers cope with distracters? This research adopts a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the problems of older drivers, and drivers in general. The research will provide a clear understanding of how visual and auditory distracters impact upon the driving behaviour and safety of individuals with vision and hearing impairment and those experiencing age-related declines in cognitive skills. The research is highly significant in terms of improving our understanding of how sensory impairment and age-related changes impact upon driving performance, the impact of an increasingly complex driving and in-vehicle environment and will provide tangible benefits for the road safety of the wider community.Read moreRead less
Improving the visibility and safety of pedestrians, roadworkers and cyclists. Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities cost Australia ~$2 billion/year, accounting for a third of road users killed or seriously injured. Late visual recognition by motorists is the main reason these collisions occur. While visibility aids to improve pedestrian and cyclist conspicuity have been advocated, they have had limited success. We will use innovative driving measurement techniques to advance understanding of pedest ....Improving the visibility and safety of pedestrians, roadworkers and cyclists. Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities cost Australia ~$2 billion/year, accounting for a third of road users killed or seriously injured. Late visual recognition by motorists is the main reason these collisions occur. While visibility aids to improve pedestrian and cyclist conspicuity have been advocated, they have had limited success. We will use innovative driving measurement techniques to advance understanding of pedestrian and cyclist visibility and the effectiveness of different visibility aids for enhancing pedestrians and cyclist recognition. We will develop novel visibility aids to maximise pedestrian and cyclist conspicuity and evidence-based educational programs to improve the safety of vulnerable road users.Read moreRead less
Peripheral aberrations of the human eye. This project will benefit Australia from several perspectives. It will make an important contribution to understanding limitations to peripheral vision of the eye, particularly as a result of refractive surgical intervention. This is important because many Australians will require such surgery. Being able to better measure and correct peripheral aberrations will lead to improved imaging of the eye and thus contribute to improved detection and diagnosis of ....Peripheral aberrations of the human eye. This project will benefit Australia from several perspectives. It will make an important contribution to understanding limitations to peripheral vision of the eye, particularly as a result of refractive surgical intervention. This is important because many Australians will require such surgery. Being able to better measure and correct peripheral aberrations will lead to improved imaging of the eye and thus contribute to improved detection and diagnosis of ophthalmic disease. The study will benefit ophthalmologists, optometrists, and engineers involved in designing visual instruments. This project will provide training in adaptive optics for graduate students not available in any other Australian institution.Read moreRead less
Using 'biological motion' to enhance the nighttime safety of road workers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities are a major road safety problem, accounting for a third of road fatalities at an estimated cost of $2.5 billion/year. Late recognition of pedestrians and cyclist by drivers is the main reason for these collisions. We have shown that innovative visibility designs which involve strategic placement of reflective markers on the moveable joints can greatly enhance vi ....Using 'biological motion' to enhance the nighttime safety of road workers, cyclists, and pedestrians. Pedestrian and cyclist fatalities are a major road safety problem, accounting for a third of road fatalities at an estimated cost of $2.5 billion/year. Late recognition of pedestrians and cyclist by drivers is the main reason for these collisions. We have shown that innovative visibility designs which involve strategic placement of reflective markers on the moveable joints can greatly enhance visibility and hence safety of these vulnerable road users. We will extend this research to incorporate evaluation of these visibility solutions in real-world environments and encourage the widespread use of these designs in the real-world through education and policy change.Read moreRead less