Eman Alzghoul

Research Title: Characteristic changes in visual functions with myopic control treatments- atropine and multifocal contact lenses.

Supervisors: Associate Professor Sieu Khuu, Dr Alex Hui, Dr Pauline Kang

Research

Myopia, or short-sightedness, has become a condition of increased public health concern as its prevalence has doubled over the past fifty years. Although atropine and MFCLs have shown to have a significant impact on the prevention of myopia progression, both treatments change the optics of the eye and increase light aberrations. As of yet, systematic investigations into how the eye responds to central and peripheral optical blur that induced by myopia treatment strategies to drive axial growth are still unresolved.

My research thus aims to characterise changes in a number of visual functions, potentially affected by MFCLs and atropine using laboratory based psychophysical experimentation. psychophysical measurements will focus exclusively on image quality, in particular, contrast sensitivity, colour contrast sensitivity, and vernier acuity as these visual functions play an integral role in visual performance related tasks as they define the quality of retinal image. By understanding how the eye respond to central and peripheral optical blur through these functions, further insight to myopia progression could be provided.

Biography

Eman is an alumnus of UNSW Sydney who graduated with master’s degree in Optometry from the School of Optometry and Vision Science. After earning her Bachelor of Optometry in 2008, she worked as a teaching assistant and a registered clinical optometrist at Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST). Eman is a keen educator and clinical supervisor for optometry and research students. Her research focused on contact lenses compliance, visual impairment, patient care, and myopia control treatments. With her past teaching and clinical experience and her own research interest she now hopes to contribute to the vision research field by investigating the visual functions and myopic control strategies as a part of her PhD. Eman values sharing research, effective science communication, and teamwork.

Education

2019 - current PhD, School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney

2017 - 2018 Master of Optometry, UNSW Sydney

2018 Advanced Certificate in Children’s Vision, Australian College of Optometry, Melbourne

2004 - 2008 Bachelor of Optometry, Jordan University of Science and Technology (J.U.S.T) Irbid, Jordan

Published Abstract

1. Alzghoul E., Kang P., Khuu S., Multifocal Contact Lens Induced Peripheral Blur and Its Effect on Visual Field Results. Poster session presented online at the annual meeting of the Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology (ARVO), May 2021.

Awards and Honours

2016 IACLE Travel Award

2017 Academic Scholarship for MS, Jordan University of Science and Technology.

2019 Academic Scholarship for PhD, Jordan University of Science and Technology.

2020 UNSW Equity , Diversity and Inclusion Award (EDI)

2020 U21 Champion Award

Conferences

American Academy of Optometry - Academy at Home, October 2020.

Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology (ARVO), May 2021.

The American Academy of Optometry, USA, California, 2016

The Second Jordanian-Palestinian Optometry Conference, JOPAL, Jordan, Amman, 2016

Affiliations and Memberships

Member-In-Training, The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)

Student Member of American Academy of Optometry (AAOPT)

Student Member of Optometry Australia (OA)

Member of Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia (CCLSA)

Member of the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society (TFOS)

Member of International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE)

Member of Jordan Optometry Society.