Dept Vision and Hearing Sciences Anglia Ruskin University
October 2015 Volume 1, Issue 1
VHS Newsletter WELCOME TO THE FIRST EDITION
Welcome to our first Vision and Hearing Sciences newsletter. We want to keep our students and staff aware and involved in the great work happening right here in our department. A department to be proud of I’m sure you’ll agree. This newsletter will be released once a term so please feel free to send me your news for the next edition. Dr Holly Price—editor. (holly.price@anglia.ac.uk)
WELCOME TO OUR NEW STUDENTS Did you know we have 724 students in our department?
You may not be aware of all the different courses that we run here at VHS. BOptom(Hons) Optometry
BSc(Hons) Ophthalmic Dispensing FdSc Ophthalmic Dispensing BSc(Hons) Hearing Sciences FdSc Hearing Aid Audiology MOptom Applied Vision Science Certificate course for Optometric Clinical Assistants Certificate course for Ophthalmic Dispensing Assistants University Certificate for Hearing Care Assistants We also have 13 PhD students
GOOD NEWS! Optometry scored 100% overall satisfaction in the National Student Survey results – only 1 of 5 departments in our faculty to do so. This is a wonderful testament to how hard all the lecturing and support staff work to support their students.
CONGRATULATIONS To Ms Julie Hughes (Foundation Degree Ophthalmic Dispensing) and Mr Phil Gomersall (Foundation Degree Audiology) who have recently been promoted to Senior Lecturer status on account of their experience and expertise.
GOOD NEWS! Our Faculty (Faculty of Science and Technology) has quadrupled the amount of research income it receives for the next 5 years. Due to the faculty performance the latest Research Excellence Framework system where our research was assessed for its quality, our research income will increase to £1m per year.
UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT NEWS Optometry students Zaheera B H Bissessur and Lacey McCay (pictured) recently took part in a summer research project for the Coopervision student summit 2015. ‘We worked for four weeks in the summer and gathered patient data for our project on soft contact lens centration. We were really not sure what we were getting ourselves into as we had never done a research project before but it was well worth it. Actually conducting and completing an experiment was and still is such an accomplishment. Doing research in an area that you are passionate about is one of the top things. The summit was amazing. There was a tour of the manufacturing and the distribution of Coopervision contact lenses. Both of us were very appreciative of all the work,
precision and time that is put into making a single contact lens. We never imagined that a contact lens took such a lengthy trip to get to the point that we see on retail side. After that, we were given the chance to present our research in front of the Coopervision panel alongside some judges. Having got positive feedback, reassured us that our project was a success and it gave us hope about future research on this topic. We met fellow scholarship winners from the other four UK universities who participated, a great networking opportunity. This opportunity and experience shall never be forgotten. We would advise anyone to apply for it. Special thanks to our supervisors Dr Marta Vianya, Dr Sheila Rae and Mr Robert Conway’.
5 MINUTES WITH OUR BCLA STUDENT REP MEERA LAKHANI So Meera how did you become our ARU British Contact Lens association (BCLA) student rep? I became the student rep when the opportunity was mentioned during one of the contact lens lectures in second semester of 2nd year .The application involved writing 200 words on why I wanted to be an ambassador and what contact lenses mean to me. After a successful application I was picked to represent ARU. Being an ambassador has allowed me to also take a step away from books and lectures to have an insight into world of contact lenses. How has being a BCLA rep helped you with your Optometry degree?
Stepping away from the walls of the university eye clinic and lectures via the BCLA, I got the opportunity to meet a lot of Optometrists that are well experienced in the field as well as manufacturers. I have also learnt about the latest research on anterior eye health and the dynamic changes in the way we understand contact lenses. I got the opportunity to visit a manufacturing plant that produces RGP and Scleral lenses. The BCLA conference in Liverpool was fun, with lectures from well-known researchers and lots of freebies! What do you enjoy most about studying at ARU? ARU is very supportive, the lecturers are always there to give you a helping hand when you feel as if you’re stuck, as well as general and personal help to guide you through your degree. ARU has great resources and opportunities, I’ve always had the help I’ve needed to progress. ARU is also great for extra activities to fuel your hobbies so you are always kept busy!
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Dates for Optometry Undergraduates It is the time of the year for the AOP Eye Opener Conference. This conference is designed for second year students so that you can prepare for the pre-reg job searches. Please consider attending as it will be very useful as a networking opportunity. Center Parcs, Nottingham November 27 – 29 2015.
Bookings open now http:// www.aop.org.uk/about-theaop/events/student-eyeopener-2015/ Mr Robert Conway sporting his 2 world championship GOLD medals
4th November
STAFF MESSING ABOUT ON THE RIVER Mr Robert Conway (pictured), Senior Lecturer in Optometry, won 2 GOLD medals at the World Masters Rowing Championships, Hazewinkel, Belgium this September. Robert rowed to victory representing Great Britain in the quad skulling team in both Vet E and Vet D categories. Congratulations Robert and his team, based at Norwich Rowing Club. In other river related news, Mr Phil Gomersall – Senior Lecturer in Audiology joined the Audiology Department from Addenbrooke’s hospital in team ‘BuccanEars’ in the Cambridge Dragon boat festival raising money for Addenbrooke's Charitable Trust. Dressed as Jack Sparrow of course! (no picture given, sorry!– ed.)
OUR POSTGRADUATE STUDENTS ARE ALWAYS HARD AT WORK TOO!
Specsavers come to speak to second year optometry students. 21st November (afternoon) Joint Specsavers and employability workshop on making the most of your summer experience for second year optometry students
Did you know…. Our faculty has a twitter account? Join the conversation @aru_fst
Postgrad student Hikmat Subhi has made her first external presentations of her PhD work, which aims to develop a functional visual field test to use in low vision assessment. She has presented at both the British Congress of Optometry and Vision Science (BCOVS) meeting in London, and at the European Society for Low Vision Research and Rehabilitation (ESLRR) meeting in Oxford. Welcome to new postgrad research student Jane Macnaughton, who has just started a College of Optometrists’ funded PhD project on ‘Rehabilitation needs and adjustment to visual loss of visually impaired people over time’, supervised by Dr Keziah Latham. Final year students will be familiar with Jane as author of one of their reading list texts on low vision.
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CONGRATULATIONS! to all our students who graduated on Wednesday 14th October We are proud of you and all that you have achieved. Special mention goes to our Higher degree students receiving their awards. Akash Singh Chima- Doctor of Philosophy Vineela Venkata Naga Varikuti – Doctor of Philosophy Maria Foteini Katsou – Master of Philosophy And to our Prize Winners Nabeela Dindar– Association of British Dispensing Opticians Prize Amie Watson— Association of British Dispensing Opticians Prize and Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians Prize Rafiq Ullah Jan—Baush and Lomb Prize Kirsty Wilson—Essilor Award Alice Martin- Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians Prize Chris Burdis—GNResound Jessica Massey—Haag-Streit Zahra Yaqoob—Haag Streit Elliot Kemp Smith—Johnson and Johnson Vision Care
DR WAUGH INVITED TO CELEBRATE PROFESSOR BEDELL’S LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENTS Dr Sarah J Waugh (Reader in Vision Sciences) was an invited speaker at a conference honouring the career of Professor Harold Bedell (Visiting Professor to VHS), which took place at the University of Houston, College of Optometry on Friday, 22nd May. She was among a handful of speakers invited from Universities of California (Berkeley), Iowa, Houston, Waterloo and Harvard Medical School, and spoke about “Mapping of interocular suppression”. This talk followed a successful conference presentation by Drs Akash Chima, Monika Formankiewicz and Sarah Waugh at a top international conference in Vision Sciences (Vision Sciences Society) at St Pete’s Beach, Florida in May, 2015 entitled “Patterns of suppression mapping in microstrabismic and strabismic observers”.
IN THE NEXT EDITION……..
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Staff and students on Vision Aid Overseas Projects 5 minutes with our departmental technician
RESEARCH TO BE PROUD OF! SO FAR THIS YEAR ALL OF THIS RESEARCH HAS BEEN PUBLISHED BY STAFF AND STUDENTS FROM THE DEPARTMENT
Crundwell, G., Gomersall, P., Baguley, D. (2015). Ototoxicity (Cochleotoxicity) Classifications: A Review� International Journal of Audiology. (Accepted for publication May 2015) Chima A S, Formankiewicz M A, Waugh S J. (2015) Investigation of inter-ocular blur suppression using luminance-modulated and contrast-modulated noise stimuli. Journal of Vision 15 1-22 Chima A S, Waugh S J, Formankiewicz M A. (2015) Patterns of suppression mapping for strabismic and microstrabismic observers Journal of Vision 15 265 Bedell H E, Siderov J, Formankiewicz M A, Waugh S J, Aydin S. (2015) Evidence for an eye-movement contribution to foveal crowding in normal observers. Optometry and Vision Science 92 237-245 Sivaraman, V., Rizwana, J.H., Ramani, K.K., Price H., Calver, R.I., Pardhan, S.,Vasudevan B., and Allen, PM. (2015) Near-work induced transient myopia in Indian subjects. Clinical and Experimental Optometry. Hollingsworth, R., Ludlow, A., Wilkins, A.J., Calver, R.I. and Allen, P.M. (2015). Visual defects and the use of coloured filters in children who are deaf. Optometry and Vison Science Monger, L., Wilkins, A.J. and Allen, P.M. (2015). Identifying visual stress during a routine eye examination. Journal of Optometry. Gilchrist, J.M. and Allen, P.M. (2015) Lexical decision in adults with low and high susceptibility to pattern-related visual stress: a preliminary investigation. Frontiers in Psychology Monger, L., Shah, D., Wilkins, A.J. and Allen, P.M. (2015) The effect of viewing distance on responses to the Pattern Glare Test. Clinical and Experimental Optometry. Evans, B.J.W., Allen, P.M. and Wilkins, A.J. (2015) Vision is relevant to reading. Pediatrics Beukes, E., Manchaiah, V., Allen, P.M., Baguley, D., Andersson, G. (2015) Internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy for adults with tinnitus in the United Kingdom: Study protocol for a randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open Wilkins, A.J., Allen, P.M., Monger, L.J., Gilchrist, J.M. (2015). Visual stress and dyslexia for the practising optometrist. Optometry in Practice Latham K, Baranian M, Timmis M, Pardhan S. (2015) Difficulties with goals of the Dutch ICF Activity Inventory: perceptions of those with Retinitis Pigmentosa and of those who support them. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 56: 2381-2391, Rae S, Latham K, Katsou MF. Distance word acuity, critical print size and driving vision standards.(2015) Clinical and Experimental Optometry, 98: 459-463, 2015. Pardhan S, Latham K, Tabrett DR, Timmis M. (2015) Objective analysis of performance of Activities of Daily Living in people with central field loss. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science Rae S, Latham K, Katsou MF. Meeting the UK driving vision standards with reduced contrast sensitivity. (2015) Eye
Wolffsohn J., Naroo S., Christie C., Morris J., Conway R., Maldonado-Codina C, (2015) Anterior Eye Health Recording. Contact Lens and Anterior Eye; 38,4: 266-271 Wolffsohn J., Naroo S., Christie C., Morris J., Conway R., Maldonado-Codina C, Retallic N., Purslow C., (2015) History and Symptom Taking in Contact Lens Fitting and Aftercare. Contact Lens and Anterior Eye; 38,4: 258-265 Khairallah, M., Kahloun, R., Bourne. R., Limburg, H., Flaxman, S., Jonas, J., Keeffe, J., Leasher, J., Naidoo, K., Pesudovs, K., Price, H., et al. on behalf of the Vision Loss Expert Group of the Global Burden of Disease Study. (2015) Number of People Blind or Visually Impaired by Cataract Worldwide and in World Regions 1990 – 2010. Investigative Ophthalmology and Vision Science. In Press
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