BCOVS we can

Attendees at the British Congress of Optometry & Visual Science (BCOVS) are likely to get a first glimpse of the research that could revolutionise the eye care professions.

Conference organiser and University College London vision scientist, Professor Roger Anderson, told OT that the two-day event (12–13 September, Ulster University, Coleraine) was popular with optometric research students and academics, with growing interest from hospital optometrists.

He explained: “It’s to share early research findings in a non-threatening environment – that’s the main goal. I think it also gives academics the opportunity to get together and discuss research and the wider research world. It’s quite a social meeting at the same time.”

Two keynote speakers are also booked for the conference. Queen’s University researcher, Dr Ruth Hogg, will speak about the last decade of research on microperimetry.

Her lecture will focus on the potential of the visual field test in spotting eye disease symptoms missed by standard acuity tests, and developing treatments for patients with age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

Dr Hogg told OT that: “My talk will introduce the concepts of microperimetry and its current clinical and research applications.”

Her lecture will also focus on where the research needs to go. “One of the major unanswered questions is whether microperimetry has the ability to reveal deficits prior to structural changes on multi-modal retinal imaging and how these subtle changes can be distinguished from normal variation,” she explained.

University of Melbourne associate professor, Dr Andrew Anderson, will speak on dysfunctional ganglion cells in cases of glaucoma in his keynote lecture.

Practitioners interested in attending can visit the event’s website.

Image credit: Ardfern