News

We are conducting a retrospective chart review study at the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (formerly Centre for Contact Lens Research – CCLR) at the University of Waterloo that will examine hydrogen peroxide lens care performance in academic and community practices.  This study will review records of contact lens (CL) patients seen in both university and private practice settings to compare the incidence of CL complications in users of hydrogen peroxide systems versus users of multipurpose solutions (MPS).

One of the more rewarding activities you can pursue to is to share your understanding of the world with a student. One way a practicing optometrist can do this is through the Optometry Clerkships program at the University of Waterloo School of Optometry & Vision Science (WOVS). Clerkship supervisors are tasked with the responsibility of guiding, observing and assessing our 4th year Doctor of Optometry students’ learning during their external rotations. To recognize the contributions of these supervisors the WOVS and UWaterloo Library have worked together to make them an official part of the university community. The new official designation for the clerkship supervisors is External Clinical Instructor. We are excited to announce, that our External Clinical Instructors now have access to all of the highly valued information resources and services available through the UW Library (lib.uwaterloo.ca).

A team from the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science and the CNIB found that myopia increases from 6 per cent in children aged six to eight to 28.9 per cent in children aged 11 to 13. According to the report, genetics plays a significant role in myopia; however, the study also found that reducing screen time and spending one additional hour per week outdoors significantly lowers the odds of children becoming myopic.

As part of our 50th Anniversary, the School took on a project to ensure that our history is remembered and our many alumni from across the country are recognized. Through the Museum of Vision Science and with support from the EJ Fisher Memorial Endowment Fund, we were able to frame ALL of the class composites that we have to create which is now called Alumni Hall.

2018 was a year of transitions for the University of Waterloo Association for Guide Dogs (UWAGD) -  formerly known as the Lions Club, we have a new name but the same mission: to raise money to purchase a guide dog for someone in need! By changing our name, we were able to expand our membership and open up our club to more students who want to participate, which we hope will translate into reaching our goal faster and being able to provide more for those in need in the community. 

As those of you who have been to the School know, our grounds are meticulously kept and maintained.  There’s one woman we have to thank for that – Sherry Bell.  Sherry has worked at the university for 40 years as a groundskeeper, and 18 years have been spent taking care of our Optometry grounds.

Faculty, staff, and students hit the ground running with a strategic planning exercise over the past year that has helped to crystallize our vision for the University of Waterloo School of Optometry and Vision Science.  With stakeholder feedback, we identified a number of key strengths and opportunities that we have reviewed and discussed to help guide our future over the next several years.  A formal presentation of the plan will take place in the next couple of months, but I am happy to give you a preview of the highlights that we have shared during the year. 

Professor Dalton is one of the experts working with the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) to help redevelop classification rules for visually impaired athletes that reflect the unique visual demands of each Paralympic sport. Currently, she is focusing her efforts on both Alpine (downhill) and Nordic (cross-country) skiing. Dalton measures the functional impact of vision impairments on an athlete’s performance under real-world conditions in Alpine and Nordic skiing, conditions which are very different from those of rowers, runners, swimmers, and judokas.

According to a recent study by University of Waterloo and Western University, nearly 90 per cent of hospitalized patients have poor vision putting them at serious risk for falls. Other studies have found that falls are a significant problem as they are responsible for 40 to 90 per cent of accidents in hospitals, with severe fall injuries costing the Canadian health care system an additional $30,000 per patient.

Our newest continuing education course was developed by a team of experts from the University of Waterloo's Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE), School of Optometry & Vision Science and School of Pharmacy. It was designed to bring you the latest in clinical and therapeutic information, while highlighting the importance of interprofessional collaboration between pharmacists and optometrists in the management of their patients.