Research Elective Course

Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry Research elective course offerings Spring 2012.

A semester-long lab practicum course in which students work with one of the College of Optometry faculty on an independent research project. Areas of research include: disease, development, optics, and binocular vision. Students will present their work to their peers.

If you are interested in taking this course to fulfill your elective credit, please contact one of the faculty below to arrange a meeting. Enrollment requires faculty approval. If you have any questions about the course, please contact Dr. Cameron.

Research Opportunities:

Dr. Cameron: (First availability: January 2012) The following projects are available:

1. Measuring visual acuity in adult zebrafish and comparison of retinal disease models; 2. Carotenoid metabolism in eye development and disease using zebrafish; 3. Imaging the zebrafish eye (may require off-site travel); 4. Examining visual dysfunction in an Alzheimer’s zebrafish model; 5. Electrophysiology of the zebrafish retina; 6. Dr. Cameron would also be glad to assist conducting any research projects related to zebrafish visual function from students' own ideas in this elective course.

Dr. Liu: (First availability February 2012) The following projects are available:

1. Evaluation of the effects of vision therapy in symptomatic subjects with binocular and/or accommodative disorder using symptom survey and clinical assessment; 2. Evaluation of the effects of vision therapy on vergence-accommodation interaction using a novel and objective method.

Dr. Shen: (First availability: March/April 2012)  The following projects are available:

1. Evaluation of the effects of accommodation on the peripheral optics of human eye; 2. Contribution of corneal wavefront aberrations to the whole eye’s optical quality; 3. Longitudinal study of myopia progression and peripheral vision in children with different ethnicities; Dr. Shen would also be glad to assist conducting any research projects related to physiological optics from students' own ideas in this elective course.

Dr. Spors: (First availability: April 2012)  The following projects are available:

1. Orthokeratology; 2. Corneal Topography; 3.Wavefront aberrations (in collaboration with Dr. Shen).

Dr. Chase: (First Availability August 2012) No offerings in Spring