PhD Student Wong Yu-qi received Best Student Presenter Award

Ms WONG Yu-qi, PhD student at the School, has been awarded the Best Student Presenter Award for her exceptional performance in the Research Seminars in Semester 2, AY2023/24. Her presentation was titled "Axial elongation among Hong Kong Chinese children wearing single-vision spectacles: A retrospective cohort study". The School hosts the Research Seminar Series biannually to foster academic dialogue among students and offer them a platform to present their research findings.

SO Three Minute Thesis Competition

On May 14, 2024, the School of Optometry successfully hosted the Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) Competition. Participants delivered engaging three-minute presentations, accompanied by a single static slide, to showcase their research topics and captivate the panel members. Originating from the University of Queensland, Australia, in 2008, the 3MT® Competition is designed to enhance the academic, presentation, and research communication skills of postgraduate research students. It encourages them to effectively convey their research to a non-specialist audience within a three-minute timeframe. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the winners of the 2024 SO 3MT® Competition, who have earned their nominations for the upcoming FHSS competition on June 14, 2024.  Name  Presentation Title  Chief Supervisor  Award  Mr SO Ching  Is myopia control value for  money?  Dr Tina LIAN  Champion  Mr YANG Xiayin  Neuromyelitis optica  spectrum disorders  (NMOSD) animal model  and potential underlying  disease mechanisms  Dr Ellen TAN  First Runner-up  Ms AYERAKWAH Patience   Ansomah  Effect Of Partial Field  Astigmatism On Refractive  Development  Dr Jeffrey LEUNG  Second Runner-up

PolyU joins WHO Global SPECS Network, contributing towards 2030 global eye health target

We are pleased to announce that The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) has joined as a member institution of the Global SPECS Network hosted by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2024. The Network, which comprises representatives from inter-governmental organisations, non-governmental organisations, academic institutions, private sector and philanthropic foundations, promotes collective and coordinated advocacy and action towards the WHO SPECS 2030 target, that is to achieve a 40% increase in effective global coverage of refractive error by 2030. Prof. HE Mingguang, Chair Professor of Experimental Ophthalmology of the School of Optometry (SO) and Director of the Research Centre for SHARP Vision (RCSV) and Prof. KEE Chea-su, Professor & Head of SO and Associate Director of RCSV serve as the representatives of PolyU in meetings, communication and collaboration of the Network. The School and RCSV shall continue pursuing various impactful and international collaborations with the goal of creating knowledge and solutions for the promotion of a healthy, lifelong, sharp vision. Please visit here for the member list of the Network.

PolyU forms global partnership with ZEISS Vision Care to expand impact and accelerate market penetration of patented myopia control technology

School of Optometry wins Gold Medals and Grand Prize at Geneva Inventions Expo

Online Application of Doctor of Optometry Programme for September 2024 intake Is Now Open!

The School is excited to announce that the online application for the Doctor of Optometry (DOptom) Programme for the September 2024 intake is now open. Programme Information Admission Details The programme offers students the opportunity to broaden and deepen their clinical knowledge and skills by combining advanced courses of study with research in areas of professional significance and relevance. It is the first of its kind offered in Hong Kong, dedicated to advancing the knowledge and training of optometrists in selected optometry specialty areas. It equips graduates with the advanced clinical knowledge and skills necessary to become leaders in the optometry profession. The application deadline for the DOptom Programme is 30 April 2024. We strongly encourage early applications, as there is a quota for admissions. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for interviews, with offers being made on a rolling basis.   [Information Seminars] Two upcoming information seminars about the programme will be organised on 20 February 2024 (online mode) and 26 March 2024 (both online and face-to-face modes). Interested candidates are invited to register for these admission events on the DOptom webpage.

Early Closure of PolyU Optometry Clinic and Community Optometry Centres

【Special Notice to Patients of PolyU Optometry Clinic and Community Optometry Centres】 The PolyU Optometry Clinic on Hunghom campus, the Integrative Community Health Center in Lai King and the Sik Sik Yuen – PolyU Optometry Centre (Wong Tai Sin Teaching and Learning Centre) will be closed earlier at 1:00pm 9 February 2024 (Chinese New Year's Eve).  Thank you for your attention.  【特別通告—致理大眼科視光學診所及社區保健/教學中心應診人士】 紅磡理大眼科視光學診所、葵青荔景社區結合保健中心及嗇色園-香港理工大學眼科視光學中心 (黃大仙教學中心) 於2024年2月9日(除夕)下午一時提早關閉。特此通知。

Dr Samantha Shan Awarded Shaffer Grant for Glaucoma Research

We extend our hearty congratulations to Dr Samantha Shan, Research Assistant Professor of the School, for being awarded the competitive 2024 Shaffer Research Grant. This grant, provided by the Glaucoma Research Foundation, will fund her project titled “MiR-17-92 members in IOP regulation”. The grant amounts to a total of US$55,000, to be utilized over a period of one year. Dr Shan's project seeks to address the shortcomings of current glaucoma treatments, which slow but do not halt disease progression. The project aims to discover new treatment strategies by understanding how miR-17-92 cluster members affect intraocular pressure (IOP). The study will investigate the interaction between specific miRNAs in the miR-17-92 cluster and a target protein identified in glaucoma models, which increases IOP. The research is expected to provide a foundation for developing drugs to lower IOP and slow or halt glaucoma progression. The Shaffer Research Grants for Innovative Glaucoma Research are awarded to scientists and clinicians to fund projects that support new high-impact clinical, epidemiological, and laboratory research. These projects aim to meet the strategic research goals for combating glaucoma, focusing on the physiology and genetics of the disease. For more information, please visit: https://glaucoma.org/research/shaffer-research-grants/  

PhD Student So Chung-him wins Mightex Research Excellence Prizes

Congratulations to Mr So Chung-him, a PhD student at the School, who has achieved the Third Place in the 2023 Mightex Research Excellence Prizes. The Mightex Research Excellence Prizes are designed to acknowledge outstanding scientific research conducted by research students and post-doctoral researchers using Mightex products. Chung-him is currently undertaking his PhD study under the guidance of Dr PAN Feng, with his research focusing on the mechanism of refractive error in the mouse retina.

PhD Student Patience Ayerakwah received Best Student Presenter Award

Ms Patience Ansomah AYERAKWAH, a PhD student at the School, has been awarded the Best Student Presenter Award for her exceptional performance in the Research Seminars in Semester 1, AY2023/24. Her presentation was titled "The Axis of Astigmatic Blur Affects the Magnitude of Cylindrical-lens Induced Astigmatism across the Visual Field in Chickens". The School hosts the Research Seminar Series biannually to foster academic dialogue among students and offer them a platform to present their research findings.