Optometry and Vision Science

Research credentials

80% of the research activity of this group was judged to be of international quality and above in the 2008 Governmentled Research Assessment Exercise.

Research areas:

• Research into eye disease and developmental disorders of vision in collaboration with local hospitals.
• Fundamental research in visual perception and cognition to identify functional mechanisms within the human visual system. In particular, efforts are concentrated on understanding the perception of position, motion, colour and texture.
• Fundamental and clinical research in visual optics, particularly the assessment of corneal topography, accommodation and aberrations. An area of particular interest is the aetiology of myopia and possible links with accommodation and sensitivity to blur.
• Clinical investigation of visual function and quality of life changes due to various ocular disorders such as glaucoma and strabismus.
• Fundamental and clinical psychophysical investigation of developmental abnormalities of human vision including amblyopia (‘lazy eye’) and dyslexia.
• Fundamental and clinical investigation of the role of vision in balance control and gait. In particular, studies are determining whether ophthalmic interventions such as new or improved spectacles or cataract surgery may improve balance and mobility and prevent falls in the elderly.
• Research into various aspects of normal and abnormal colour perception exploring how and where colour is analysed by the visual system using psychophysical, imaging and computational techniques. This includes research into colour memory and colour constancy. We also conduct applied colour research that strives to optimise rendering (computer graphics) and display technology so as to make best use of the physiological and perceptual properties of the human visual system.