Optometry Scholars won the PolyU President’s Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Knowledge Transfer 2021

Congratulations to Prof. To Chi-ho, Head of School, Prof. Carly Lam, Professor and Dr Dennis Tse, Associate Professor who were awarded the Team Award – Knowledge Transfer: Industry under PolyU President’s Award 2021 in recognition of their impactful leadership and commitments to the research in applying the simultaneous defocus technology to advance the standard of myopia control and address a global problem.  The PolyU President’s Awards for Outstanding Achievement is a university-wide award to recognise the distinguished accomplishments and contributions of PolyU staff members. The team was also the winner of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences Award 2021 in Knowledge Transfer. 

PolyU studies show astigmatism and myopia among schoolchildren worsened in the pandemic

Researchers from School of Optometry found that the share of schoolchildren, aged 8 to 10, suffering from astigmatism increased by a substantial 50% during the pandemic as they spent extra time on electronic devices. They also found that despite the adverse effects on schoolchildren's eye health during the pandemic, the Defocus Incorporated Multiple Segments (DIMS) Spectacle Lens jointly developed by PolyU and Hoya Corporation could effectively slow down children's myopia progression by 46%. 

Optometry Team won Second Prize in 2021 International Contest on Blended Teaching & Learning

The School of Optometry team won the Second Prize in the 2021 International Contest on Blended Teaching & Learning (ICBTL2021) with their project titled “Cooperative learning through providing eye care and vision health service to the community”, appreciating their innovative teaching method and encouragement to students’ participatory learning. The winning team consisted of Associate Professors Dr DO Chi-wai & Dr Henry CHAN, Optometrists Dr Geoffrey CHU, Ms Natalie CHAN, Ms Vivian LO and Clinical Associate Dr Lily CHAN. Their service-learning subject aims to raise students’ awareness of health care issues and nurture their sense of social responsibility. By providing community vision screenings and eye care activities, the team facilitated students from different disciplines to apply what they have learned in the classroom and worked towards a common goal of blindness prevention in the community. Initiated and hosted by Peking University, the International Contest on Blended Teaching & Learning aims to promote innovation in design, construction, implementation and application of innovative Blended Learning (BTL) in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and dedicated to exploring, cultivating and demonstrating the achievements of Blended Learning from the participating universities around the world.

PhD Student Ms Wang Qin won Second Runner-up in Basic Research Presentation

Congratulations to Ms Wang Qin, PhD Student of the School, who won the Second Runner-up in Basic Research (Posterior Segment) at the 10th Li Ka Shing Foundation International Ophthalmic Graduate Student Forum 2021, hosted by the Joint Shantou International Eye Center of Shantou University and The Chinese University of Hong Kong on 26 December 2021.  Her awarded presentation was titled "Contributions of amacrine cells to synchronous firing of retinal ganglion cells in the mouse retina". 

In Memoriam: Mr Hilton Cheong-Leen, CBE, JP

The PolyU School of Optometry records with the most profound sorrow of the passing of Mr Hilton Cheong-Leen, CBE, JP (張有興先生), Chairman of the inaugural Advising Committee of the PolyU Centre for Myopia of Research and Honorary Advisor of the School, on 4 January 2022, at age 99.  Mr Cheong was a diligent politician and businessman who had served as Urban Council and Legislative Council member in the last century. He was committed to community services and showed concern about the problem of myopia of schoolchildren.  During a LegCo meeting back in 1986, Mr Cheong expressed concern about the high percentage of myopic students and urged the government for a campaign to prevent the worsening situation. He also suggested enhancing the visual function screening for primary school students and giving them additional visual health support. He had been one of the leading advocates in comprehending visual and health care support to schoolchildren.  Mr Cheong had been the Honorary Advisor of the Centre for Myopia Research from its inception in 1997. He had been a keen supporter of the School, particularly in myopia research.  The School conveys its heartfelt condolences to Mr Cheong’s family. He will always be remembered for his distinguished contributions and support to optometry professional development and myopia research in Hong Kong and beyond.

Result Announcement - Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU School of Optometry 2022

The School of Optometry is pleased to present the “Outstanding Alumni Award of PolyU School of Optometry 2022” to two distinguished graduates in recognition of their for their professional achievements and significant contributions to the School, PolyU and the community. Their remarkable achievements and valuable contributions have earned them well-deserved honour and respectful recognition.  Congratulations to the following awardees! 

Optometry students presented in Undergraduate Research and Innovation Scheme (URIS) student sharing session

Two Optometry Year 3 Students, Mr Tai Cheuk-yiu and Mr Liu Wai-cheung, and their Chief Supervisor Dr Jeffrey Leung, Research Assistant Professor of SO, presented findings from their group research project titled “Impacts on off-axis Astigmatism on Short-term Refractive and Ocular Biometric Changes” at the Undergraduate Research and Innovation Scheme (URIS) Student Sharing Session hosted by the PolyU Graduate School on 29 December 2021. As one of the four selected funded research projects of URIS, the undergraduate researchers in optometry showcased their research ideations and how to tackle real-world challenges. “Myopia is a prevalent refractive error that leads to multiple sight-threatening eye diseases. While numerous ophthalmic optical designs employed off-axis defocus to control myopia, the underlying mechanism is still unclear. Here we hypothesize that off-axis stigmatism helps decode defocus information and investigate its effect on refractive and ocular biometric changes.” An engaging discussion panel accompanied the sharing session to exchange views with the Central Management Team of PolyU, Head of College of Undergraduate Researchers and Innovators (CURI) and Residential College Master of CURI. PolyU is honoured to have received a generous donation from Lee Wan Keung Charity Foundation for supporting the full nurture of research and innovation among the undergraduates. In this sharing session, it was encouraging to receive a genuine and supporting comment from the donor representative, Ms Rosanna Lee. Undergraduate Research and Innovation Scheme (URIS) URIS was launched in summer 2021, as the basis of professional university education through enquiry-based learning. Supported by the University Grants Committee (UGC) and the strategic plan of PolyU from 2019 to 2045, the Scheme embedded the objective of enhancing the involvement of undergraduates in research activities under the supervision of academic staff and expanding the research element in the curriculum. Thereby, the scheme ignites students' academic curiosity to become the next generation of intellectuals for a more significant impact on knowledge application beyond boundaries.

Winter Taster Programme for Secondary School Students 2021

Around 30 Form 5 and Form 6 students from 21 local secondary schools participated in the Winter Taster Programme organized by the School on 22 December 2021. Participants learned various eye diseases and eye care knowledge through the workshop on vision sciences and interactive sessions. They toured the Optometry Clinic, Optometry Research Clinic and affiliated teaching and learning facilities in PolyU. Meanwhile, the School academic faculty and optometrists shared their experience which enabled participants to have a better understanding of the optometry undergraduate programme and the direction of future professional development.

Prof. Pauline Cho ranked the World's Top 2% Most-cited Scientists in Ophthalmology & Optometry

According to a report recently released by Stanford University, Prof. Pauline Cho of the School has been ranked among the world's top 2% most-cited scientists in Ophthalmology & Optometry for career-long citation impact.  Prof. Cho was named in the "Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators" compiled by Stanford University. A research team, led by Professor John Ioannidis, created the database of more than 100,000 top scientists across the world on the basis of standardized citation indicators. They were grouped into 22 subject fields and 176 sub-fields using the indicators. The database was created to provide updated analyses and a publicly available database of top scientists. The latest dataset is based on the 1 August 2021 snapshot from Scopus. The recognition shows the significant impact and research excellence of Prof. Cho and her team, who are committed to enhancing eye care standards and maintaining children's healthy vision. Reference: Ioannidis JPA, Boyack KW, Baas J (2020) Updated science-wide author databases of standardized citation indicators. PLoS Biol 18(10): e3000918. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3000918     

PhD Student Zhao Mei received Best Student Presenter Award

Congratulations to Ms Zhao Mei, PhD student of the School, who received the Best Student Presenter Award for outstanding performance in Research Seminars in Semester 1, AY2021/22.  The School organized the Research Seminar Series twice per academic year to encourage academic exchange among peers and provide research students with presentation opportunities showcasing their research output.