The 2017-2018 Summer Students. Photo by Treve Dromgool

The ninth joint Auckland University Department of Ophthalmology and School of Optometry and Vision Science Summer Student Symposium in March was an upbeat affair. Amusingly chaired by Professor Trevor Sherwin, 17 students from across the departments presented projects and findings from their 10-week studies in rapid, strictly-timed, four-minute sessions.

The presentations crossed the gamut of eye disorders and concerns from glaucoma and aging to dry eye and drug delivery mechanisms, each attracting a number of questions and sparking discussion among the 70-strong audience.

School of Medicine head, Professor Alan Merry, and Associate Dean (research) Professor Andrew Shelling from the University’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences had the tough job of selecting the best presentations on the night. “It’s a challenge to present in four minutes and the standard this evening was uniformly very high,” said Prof Merry.

The following is summary of the presentations:

• Spheres of Influence, Catherine Tian (Tom Cat Trust) – 1^st prize
• Influence of high glucose and inflammation on barrier properties of retinal pigment epithelial (ARPE) cells, Charisse Kuo – 2^nd prize
• Differentiation of transition zone stem cells into corneal endothelial cells, Hannah Ng (Eye Institute) – 3^rd prize
• Comparison and review of visual field referrals to ADHB glaucoma clinic, Catherine Kwak
• Crystallin protein modification and spatial mapping in an aging lens model, Jerry Shen
• Evaluating the long-term usability of ex-vivo bovine corneas for drug delivery applications, Darshan Shrestha (Buchanan Charitable Foundation)
• The effect of erythropoietin on the vasculature of the premature sheep retina: a cellular and molecular characterisation, Muthana Noori
• Nailfold capillary abnormalities in glaucoma, Hilary Goh (Gordon Sanderson Scholarship from Glaucoma New Zealand, see full story p3)
• Review of glaucoma referrals to ADHB glaucoma clinic, Tess McCaffrey
• Confirmation of UV filter distribution in the aging human lens, Arwa Ibrahim (Molecular Vision Laboratory)
• To give or not to give? Should I provide feedback during acuity measurement, Maggie Xu
• Monitoring age-related changes of the vitreous of the eye using MRI, Louisa Howse
• Evaluating the utility of an eyelid massage device for the management of meibomian gland dysfunction, Jasmine Feng (NZAO Education and Research Fund)
• Effect of temperature on the thickness of the human ocular choroid measured with optical coherence tomography, Sungyeon Kim
• The effect of virtual reality on the tear film and ocular surface, Joyce Wong
• Adaptation of jumping spider behaviour to a modified focal environment, Aimee Aitken (Paul Dunlop Memorial Research Scholarship, NZAO)
• Visual impairment in stroke in a New Zealand context: patient characteristics in the CBR Stroke Recovery Clinic, Carla Fasher