Eyes On Research

There has been an explosion of clinical trials testing new drugs for diseases in the eye. But do you know how long the drug development process is and what this journey entails? Also, did you know that there are different phases of clinical trials? Our host, Dr Thales Guimaraes, will walk us through this topic. You don’t want to miss this one! Support the show In these episodes, we try and digest...

Usher syndrome is the leading cause of inherited dual sensory impairment in children — that is, combined vision and hearing loss. Our host, Thales, will be talking about what the syndrome is, its subtypes and where we stand in terms of active clinical trials. Support the show In these episodes, we try and digest the latest advances in ophthalmology and ocular research using simple terms. If you li...

But is it a cone or cone-rod dystrophy? A question we get asked  by a considerable amount of patients affected by inherited retinal dystrophies. Unsurprisingly, it is a question that many doctors struggle to answer with certainty because the features of those diseases frequently overlap. Our host, Thales, will explore this topic and arm patients (and doctors) with the knowledge and tools to provid...

Do you know the purpose of family support groups and charities, particularly in the context of rare diseases? Believe it or not, their role tends to be poorly recognised. We have the immense honour to have Bhavna Tailor, founder and CEO of Stargardt’s Connected, to help us set the record straight. Do check Stargardt’s Connected website,  stargardtsconnected.org.uk , and feel free to reach out to t...

Have you heard of blue light filtering lenses, or in short, blue blocking lenses? These are used in prescription glasses and intraocular lenses inserted into the eye typically after cataract surgery. They are marketed as a way to offer protection to the retina, improve sleeping patterns and reduce eye strain. But what does research really tell us? Support the show In these episodes, we try and dig...

What is the color of your eyes? Don’t be surprised if you ask this question to 10 people and get 10 different answers!  In this episode, we will be discussing what gives the eye its color, how it is inherited and how color is perceived in general. We will also briefly talk about the image that went viral in 2015 of that infamous dress. By the way, was it blue and black or white and gold? Support t...

From Google machine learning all the way to John Connor, artificial intelligence is hitting headlines daily. In this episode, Thales and Dr Nikolas Pontikos, principal investigator of the Eye2Gene study, discuss the role of artificial intelligence in ophthalmology. What a promising field! Support the show In these episodes, we try and digest the latest advances in ophthalmology and ocular research...

From seeing distant stars, to individuals photoreceptor cells in the human retina, adaptive optics revolutionized the field of optics. In this episode, Angelos Kalitzeos, technical lead of the Adaptive Optics lab at University College London, walks us through the cutting-edge uses of this technology that is so frequently used in astrophysics. Calling all space nerds! Support the show In these epis...