In our meeting on February 12th, Dr. Ooi came in to speak with us about research in Optometry. This was a great presentation and really inspired a lot of interest in research in the field of Optometry among our members! Thank you, Dr. Ooi, for coming in to speak with us and answer all of our questions.
During her presentation, Dr. Ooi explained to us that Optometry is the art and science of eye care. She explained how some different factors are researched so we can better understand the eyes and vision itself. Research is very important for quality of life as it helps us to make advances in areas where there is still more to learn and understand.Research is supported by government (NEI). There are many types of research. One is clinical research where patients are involved in testing. Another is basic research which is done in the laboratory. One last one is translational research which is somewhere in between clinical and basic research. The American Academy of Optometry is an important organization that supports continuing education, research presentations, and has annual meetings. This organization is important in the field of Optometry as it supports education for Optometrists, allows for important advancements and collaborations, and keeps all doctors involved and up-to-date. At Ohio State, the faculty research a variety of topics, including retinal imaging, sports vision, myopia, color vision, and more. Specifically, Dr. Ooi’s research focuses on the investigation of visual perception. We really enjoyed hearing about research and if you have any questions or would like to be a participant in Dr. Ooi’s research, please don’t hesitate to reach out!