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Research Title: Applying novel techniques and technologies to gain newer insight in early AMD

Supervisor: Dr Lisa Nivison-Smith

Co-supervisors: Dr Sieu Khuu, Dr Michele Madigan Ìý

Research

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a multifactorial, progressive disease with complex interactions between several risk factors and unclear aetiology. The lack of clarity in the pathogenesis and aetiology makes treatment options limited. There are several theories for the pathogenesis of AMD however, translating the concept into application in clinical practice has been limited by a lack of appropriate techniques to assess and apply these theories in vivo. This thesis aims to generate further in vivo evidence to support on two major theories, the haemodynamic theory of AMD, whereby AMD is primarily a vascular disease, and secondly, the rod susceptibility theory whereby rod photoreceptors degenerate in early disease. For the former, we will address the issue of inadequate clinical tests currently used for choroidal vasculature which are primarily qualitative and therefore potentially prone to miss subtle changes occurring in the early stage of the disease, by applying the Choroidal vascularity index (CVI). CVI is a robust tool that has been used to non-invasively quantify the choroidal angioarchitecture in vivo in a range of other ocular diseases. We will assess CVI as a function of age and macular eccentricity using statistically similar clusters, a method of grouping variables with similar outcomes together, to identify location-specific patterns of change in choroidal architecture which may help understand the hemodynamic mechanisms of AMD pathogenesis. For the latter, we will address the lack of real-world data substantiating the impacts of impaired scotopic function in by repurposing a novel technology, the Clouclip – a clip-on device that measures light levels and working distance in eyes with intermediate AMD. This will help us understand the real-world implications and provide new avenues for treating AMD. 

Biography

Meenakshi is a doctoral student working at the University of New South Wales. She is currently working of exploring the vascular basis or the hemodynamic behind the multifactorial disease Age Related Macular Degeneration(AMD) at the Centre of Eye Health. She hails from India and studied at the prestigious Elite School of Optometry, Chennai and did her Masters at the Glasgow Caledonian University in Scotland. She has worked extensively on posterior segment diseases such as Diabetic retinopathy, Pachychoroid vasculopathy , Central serous chorioretinopathy. She has also explored the role of Virtual reality in clinical assessment of low vision participants and role of gait analysis in Diabetic neuropathy and retinopathy.

Education

PhD at the University of New South Wales, Sydney

Master of science(M.Sc) - Clinical Ophthalmology and Vision Research 2015-2016 Glasgow Caledonian University- Scotland, UK. – with merit

Baccalaureate of Science (B.S.) Optometry 2013, Elite school of optometry, Birla Institute of Technology and Science-Pilani, India (9.33 CGPA)

Conference Attendance

Presented a poster on Bilateral retinal detachment at Retina summit, Sankara Nethralaya (2017)

Presented a poster on Prevalence of polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy at IERG (2019)

Have given a guest lecture on Recent advancement in Diabetic retinopathy at Shreedhariyam eye hospital, Kochin(2018)

IVI 2021-Poster presentation, India on Combined influence of Diabetic retinopathy and Neuropathy on Falls rate

ARVO Poster

1. Smith L, Sivaprasad S, Kumar M, Diaz-Santana L, Raman R. A deep learning method to screen for neuropathy using fundus images from diabetic retinopathy screening. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2020 Jun 10;61(7):3311-.
2. Ma D, Kumar M, Khetan V, Sen P, Bhende M, Heisler M, Lee S, Sarunic MV, Raman R, Beg MF. Differential diagnosis between polypoidal choroidal vasculopathy (PCV) and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) using Deep Neural Network. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science. 2020 Jun 10;61(7):2024-.

Awards

Sumhita Sriram Award for Best Student -2010

Bausch and Lomb India Pvt Ltd prize for Best Student of years 2010-2011

Sri V Venugopal Memorial Prize for the Best Out Going Student of the year 2013

Sri V Vaidyasubramaniya Iyer memorial prize for Contact Lens in B.S Optometry (2009-2013)

Sri V R Ramanatha Iyer Memorial Prize for Ocular Disease in B.S Optometry (2009-2013)

Luxottica Excellence Award for Clinical Evaluation of Visual System in B.S Optometry (2009-2013)

Dr.S Ramasamy Prize for Anatomy in B.S Optometry (2009-2013Ìý(2009-2013)

Luxottica Excellence Award for Ocular Physiology in B.S Optometry (2009-2013)

Essilor Award for Dispensing Optics in B.S Optomtery (2009-2013)

Luxottica Excellence Award for Epidemiology in B.S Optometry (2009-2013)

Sri C NS Panicker Memorial Prize For Public Health and Community Optometry in B.S Optometry (2009-2013)

Prof SRG Award for Pediatric Optometry in B.S Optometry (2009-2013)

Dr. P P Santhanam Prize for Occupational Optometry in B.S Optometry(2009-2013)

Sri Sugalchand Jain Prize for Clinical Examinations in B.S Optometry (2009-2013)

Smt Jayammal Prize for Optometrist Instruments in B.S Optomptometry(2009-2013)

University International Postgraduate Award –UNSW 2020

Affliliations and Memberships:

Member of Optometry Australia

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