���������¼�

During the week commencing 11th August 2025, the School of Optometry and Vision Science (SOVS) came alive with the energy and ideas of our higher degree research (HDR) community during the annual Research Progress Reviews (RPRs). The week-long event was not just about presentations - it was a celebration of curiosity, discovery, and the shared pursuit of knowledge.

Over five days, 26 students presented across a remarkable breadth of topics. From advancing understanding of public health, visual perception, macular degeneration, glaucoma, myopia, dry eye disease, and microbial keratitis to pioneering the use of machine learning and artificial intelligence in ocular health, the diversity of work reflected the energy and innovation of our HDR community. Each presentation offered not just findings, but also a glimpse into how today’s research can shape tomorrow’s vision science.

This year’s RPRs also shone a spotlight on outstanding individual achievements. We warmly congratulate Rehana Khan, who received the Best Presentation Award for her exceptional talk on the development and validation of an artificial intelligence-based deep learning algorithm for predicting systemic and ocular abnormalities from retinal optical coherence tomography and fundus photographs. Congratulations as well to Samea Khan, awarded Runner-Up for her insightful presentation on the effect of celery seed extract on corneal nerves of diabetic rats.”

We also extend our gratitude to our supervisors and panellists for their invaluable feedback and guidance throughout the review process..

Chair Persons: Jerome Ozkan and Isabelle Jalbert.

Panelists: Michele Madigan, Kathleen Watt, Vinod Maseedupally, Vanessa Honson, Nayuta Yoshiko, Mark Willcox, Sieu Khuu, Revathy Mani, Daisy Shu, Jerome Kim, Angelica Ly, Suki Jaiswal, Sheela Kumaran, Eric Papas, Lisa Nivison Smith, Maitreyee Roy, Pauline Kang, Nicole Carnt, Sharon Oberstein, Jessie Hunag-Lung, Maria Markoulli

Behind the scenes, the smooth running of the RPRs was made possible by the tireless efforts of Jerome, Ina, Anne, Vicky, and the 2024/25 postgraduate representatives. The week concluded with a celebratory dinner, where students, supervisors, and colleagues came together to reflect on achievements, strengthen connections, and look ahead to the exciting milestones to come.

Thank you to all the students, supervisors and panellists for making this year’s RPRs a great success! We look forward to seeing how these projects will evolve and to the exciting contributions they will make to the field!