Unlike anywhere else in the body, the eye offers a unique opportunity to observe nerve and blood vessel systems. Many diseases show changes within the eye, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, inflammatory diseases, kidney disease and neurological conditions. Sometimes the changes in the eye are the first signs of disease.
The ability to uncover such manifestations has significantly improved with the development of high resolution, non-invasive ophthalmic imaging, and a growing ability to link large-scale health data across different organ systems.
‘Oculomics’ is the association of biomarkers within the eye with systemic health and disease. Vision Research Foundation seeks to use the eye’s unique position as a window to the brain and body to further our understanding of eye-body relationships and support the development of new diagnostic and prognostic tools through non-invasive means.
Dr Schierding’s research will explore the relationship between telomere length and major causes of blindness, such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, cataract, and diabetic eye disease, using innovative big data analytical techniques and the UK Biobank. The study has the potential to enhance research and medical education and disrupt conventional approaches to healthcare.
Exploring the role of dynamic movement of the eye and the optic nerve in glaucoma.
Supervised machine learning allows scientists to use data to make predictions about the future, including predicting the risk that an individual may develop a disease. This project aimed to produce a glaucoma risk prediction algorithm to aid early diagnosis and management of primary open-angle glaucoma. Glaucoma has both genetic and environmental risk factors. In this…
Glaucoma is not well understood. It is a progressive disease of the optic nerve, located at the back of the eye. It is recognised that elevated eye pressure, or intraocular pressure (IOP), is a risk factor for the development of glaucoma. However, only 40-50% of glaucoma patients have elevated IOP. Furthermore, not all individuals with…
Telomeres are structures made from DNA sequences and proteins found at the ends of chromosomes. The play a crucial role in a crucial role in cell fate and aging. In young humans, telomeres are approximately 8,000-10,000 nucleotides long. Telomeres have three major purposes; Protection: they protect the end of chromosomes by forming a cap. Without telomeres,…
Vision Research Foundation is a registered charity with the New Zealand Charities Register, CC59798
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