From left: Dr Safal Khanal, Dr Monica Acosta, Sachi Rathod, Dr John Phillips, Muthana Noori, Dr Andrew Collins, Dr Martin Loertscher
The 17th International Myopia Conference was held at the Tokyo Medical and Dental University from 12 – 15 September in Tokyo, Japan. Our school was well represented at this year’s meeting organised by the Japan Myopia Society. The summer students, members and collaborators of the Auckland Myopia Lab presented their latest research works to the global clinical and scientific community.
Part IV student Sachi Rathod presented her summer research work conducted under the supervision of Drs John Phillips and Safal Khanal. Her research showed that Atropine eye drops may control myopia by acting at the retina of the eye to affect its electrical activity. Part V student Muthana Noori demonstrated that the use of a novel technology called MALDI (Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption/Ionization) in chick eyes may provide additional insights into the site of action of Atropine eye drops.
Dr Monica Acosta presented her collaborative work with Drs John Phillips and Andrew Collins and showed Atropine might interfere with the transmission of nervous signals in the retina. Dr Andrew Collins presented his ongoing investigations of the effects of light characteristics on experimental myopia and demonstrated that blue light could be protective of myopia development in chicks. Finally, Dr Martin Loertscher, an Auckland Myopia Lab alumnus, described how the ability of the eye to focus at near objects could vary between two different contact lens designs for myopia control.
More than 800 attendees from different disciplines worldwide attended this year’s conference, which showcased the latest clinical and research developments on myopia, a growing global public health epidemic. The 18th International Myopia Conference will be held in Rotterdam, Netherlands in September 2021.