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WesternU College of Optometry third-year students took part in a laser lab, going to four stations learning on the Lumenis laser and the Nidek laser. Student Macy Hayashi gets hands-on experience at station 2 (ALT)- Argon Laser Trabeculoplasty is an older laser method to lower eye pressures by photocoagulating the drainage tissue of the eye. This procedure is not repeatable. The same argon photocoagulating laser is very common for other eye conditions.
WesternU / College of Optometry / Research

Research

WesternU College of Optometry third-year students took part in a laser lab, going to four stations learning on the Lumenis laser and the Nidek laser. CO student Gurkarn Ghag gets hands-on experience at station 1 (SLT) – Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty is a very safe and effective method to treat patients with open angle glaucoma. This laser is repeatable over time and works by lowering eye pressures.

Research Opportunities

WesternU faculty researchers are engaged in academic inquiry in multiple disciplines and regularly published in national journals. WesternU College of Optometry students gain valuable hands-on research experience working side-by-side with faculty researchers listed below.
Explore Research & Biotechnology

Research Elective Courses

The College of Optometry research elective course offerings are 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 eye disease development, optics, and binocular vision.

Students 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.

  • Dr. Cameron

    The following projects are available:

    • Measuring visual acuity in adult zebrafish and comparison of retinal disease models
    • Carotenoid metabolism in eye development and disease using zebrafish
    • Examining visual dysfunction in an Alzheimer’s zebrafish model
    • Electrophysiology of the zebrafish retina

    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.

    jcameron@westernu.edu
  • Dr. Davey

    The following projects are available:

    • Investigating Ocular imaging particularly OCT and its use in glaucoma management
    • Understanding age related effects on the eye particularly ocular biomechanics and retinal nerve fiber layer

    pdavey@westernu.edu
  • Dr. Spors

    The following projects are in progress:

    • Spectacle lenses, contact lenses, and orthokeratology for myopia research
    • Development of a novel corneal topography system, not based upon the Placido disk principle
    • Change in wavefront aberrations with contact lenses, spectacle lenses, and orthokeratology (in collaboration with Dr. Shen)

    fspors@westernu.edu