Myopia development in young guinea pigs and influences of intraocular pressure (IOP) lowering and atropine-related drugs on myopia progression and related pathology.
Christine Wildsoet, Professor
Optometry
Applications for Spring 2025 are closed for this project.
This research has a number of different aspects. One aspect involves collection of optical images of the back of the eye, using an advanced high resolution SD-OCT imagining machine. Initial work will involve images already collected. It will involves working with large amounts of data in excel, using smoothing techniques, and finding relevant points. Another aspect involves experimentally inducing refractive errors, including myopia and examining the effects of topical IOP-lowering and atropine-related drugs on both the amount of induced myopia and ocular structures, including the appearance of the optic nerve head at the back of the eye. This research includes light and/or electron microscopy analysis of various ocular tissues.
Student participation in on-going hands-on data collection from our animal subjects is optional.
Role: Student researchers are being sought to help with 1) application of optical and topical drug treatments (i.e., insertion and removal of contact lenses & installation of eye drops), 2) assistance with biometric data collection, 3) light and electron microscopy analysis of the changes in the tissues at the back of the eye, and 4) analysis of collected SD-OCT and electron microscopy images. The URAP students will be expected to work closely with their mentors during the beginning training period but over the course of the semester, to accept increasing responsibility for organizing their own time to accomplish set tasks in a timely manner. For those involved in the electron microscopy aspect of this research, training in electron microscopy will be a necessary first step.
Qualifications: Proficiency in excel or other data bases is desired. The image analysis aspects of the project is best suited to a sophomore or junior student with a major in EECS or Bioengineering. Other aspects would suit a student with biology/medical/optometry interests (Public health, Integrative Biology Molecular and Cell Biology, Bioengineering majors).
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Drs So Goto, Post-Doc
Hours: to be negotiated
Off-Campus Research Site: .
Biological & Health Sciences Engineering, Design & Technologies