Ageing Vision
As we age, changes occur to our vision and eye health, and with an aging population, age-related diseases of the eye, such as glaucoma and macular degeneration, are becoming more prevalent.
Researchers in the School of Optometry and Vision Science are involved in the development of eye charts and objective vision testing techniques that may enable improved detection and monitoring of age-related eye conditions.
In addition, changes at the back of the eye (the retina and the optic nerve) are being investigated as potential markers of disease progression in Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
We currently receive funding from:
- Brain Research New Zealand – Training hearing and vision perception in noise in adults with mild cognitive impairment
- Faculty Research and Development Fund – Early Retinal Markers of Frontotemporal Dementia
- Brain Research New Zealand Explorer Grant
The Moorfields Acuity Chart 1, a visual acuity chart which is more sensitive in the detection of early visual changes in age-related macular degeneration.
This chart was developed by then-Head of School, Professor Steven Dakin, and his collaborators Professor Roger Anderson (Ulster University, Ireland), and Nilpa Shah (Moorfields Eye Hospital, UK).
Research topics
Studying the effects of ageing on intravitreal drug administration using bi-modal modelling approach
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the leading cause of blindness in New Zealand, affecting 184,000 people in 2014, costing $391.1 million in 2016, or $19,825 per patient. Anti-VEGF injection is the most effective way to control AMD progression, which is...
MRI of blood perfusion for ischemic retinal diseases
Retinal ischemia plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) — two of the most common sight-threatening diseases in the developed world. Treatments for these conditions are limited, and there is...
Diabetic retinopathy: early clinical signs and intervention using a Connexin43 modulator
Diabetes is a long-term condition that describes a group of metabolic diseases caused by high sugar levels. In the eye, high blood sugar causes damage to small blood vessels, which swell and may leak fluid. We have identified that even minor blood vessel leakage...
Our researchers
Dr Lisa Hamm
Research Fellow
Assoc Prof Ehsan Vaghefi
Prof Steven Dakin
Assoc Prof Monica Acosta
Photo currently unavailable
Dr Clairton de Souza
Lecturer