The prevalence of any near vision impairment is highest in regions with longer life expectancies (Photo and caption credit: WHO World Vision Report 2019)
Research Topics and Background
What is Myopia?
The main focus of our research is refractive development and myopia (short-sightedness). Myopia is a very common ocular disorder, with significant impact on health care costs, related to its management with spectacles, contact lenses and refractive surgery, and to the treatment of its complications, high myopia being a leading cause of blindness.
The main focus of our research is refractive development and myopia (short-sightedness). Myopia is a very common ocular disorder, with significant impact on health care costs, related to its management with spectacles, contact lenses and refractive surgery, and to the treatment of its complications, high myopia being a leading cause of blindness.
Research Topics
The UC Berkeley Myopia Research is a collaborative group made up of a diverse set of vision scientists and clinician scientists researching several aspects of myopia. Our research utilizes both animal models as well as clinical human studies to better understand the development and progression of myopia.
Our lab uses both a chick and guinea pig model to study myopia. Of the many questions waiting to be answered using this model, ones of interest to us:
What aspects of visual experience and associated retinal images underlie myopia?
What are the ocular growth signals and how are they signaled from the retina and sclera?
Is it possible to inhibit myopic growth pharmacologically in ways that may be suitable for use in humans?
Our lab uses both a chick and guinea pig model to study myopia. Of the many questions waiting to be answered using this model, ones of interest to us:
What aspects of visual experience and associated retinal images underlie myopia?
What are the ocular growth signals and how are they signaled from the retina and sclera?
Is it possible to inhibit myopic growth pharmacologically in ways that may be suitable for use in humans?
We also do human-based clinical research to better understand and optimize the optical and pharmacological myopia control treatments available in clinic. Using new technologies, including wearable devices, we are understanding the role of human behavior in the development of myopia. Through this work, many questions are ripe for answering, such as:
- Why role does excessive near work play in the development of myopia?
- What aspects of outdoor activity might be protective against myopia?
- How do the choroid and sclera contribute to emmetropization?
- What treatments can be done to stop the progression of myopia?
- What is the role of optical aberrations in myopia development?
