Centres and labs
Research centres
The Centre for Ocular Research and Education (CORE) is the School’s oldest and largest research centre, having begun as the Centre for Contact Lens Research (CCLR) in 1988. Over the years, it has been involved in some of the most important advancements in the history of contact lenses, including the development of disposable lenses, the evolution of silicone hydrogel lenses and the use of soft lenses for myopia control. It is now moving beyond its traditional front-of-eye work to research involving the whole eye and visual system. It is also available to partner with principal investigators in fields outside vision science to apply its research expertise to processes such as study design and clinical trials.
The InnoHK Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR) is a collaborative research initiative between The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and the University of Waterloo. Located in Hong Kong, it is funded by the InnoHK initiative of the Innovation and Technology Commission of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government. CEVR's vision is to enhance eye and vision health through research, innovation, collaboration and commercialization. Its mission is to develop technologies that prevent, detect, treat and mitigate vision loss. Each project is co-run by principal investigators from both Waterloo and Hong Kong, with several projects having received international invention awards.
The George & Judy Woo Centre for Sight Enhancement (CSE) is a clinical, teaching and research centre focused on vision rehabilitation. It is Canada's first and only vision rehabilitation service to be accredited by the Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired (AER). Its clinical work includes rehabilitation for people with low vision, brain injuries and binocular vision dysfunction. Its sports vision service helps athletes of all levels and abilities improve their visual performance. The centre’s research focuses on areas related to low vision, including visual rehabilitation in stroke survivors, visual fitness for driving and increasing accessibility to low vision care.
Future research centres and major interdisciplinary projects
The tentatively named Canadian Vision Imaging Centre (CVIC) aims to solve critical vision and health challenges by using the eye as a window to the brain and body. Advanced eye imaging can leverage the unique transparency of the eye’s tissues to non-invasively gain insight into diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s in addition to eye diseases. Funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) and the Ontario Research Fund (ORF), the centre will create a hub for interdisciplinary, multi-institutional research.
The Waterloo Eye Institute will include the tentatively named Biomedical Sciences Research Centre, which aims to bring together interdisciplinary researchers doing fundamental and applied science in areas such as human and animal vision systems and their functions related to health, disease and the healing process. Areas of focus will include cellular aging, dry eye, cataracts, presbyopia and more.
The Can-View project aims to establish an eye data repository with clinical data and imaging from optometrists across Canada. The aim is to use the data and AI for breakthroughs such as finding new biomarkers to predict ocular, neurological and systemic diseases. Work is now ongoing to co-develop governance policies for eye data with the Southern Chiefs’ Organization and Manitoba Association of Optometrists. Members of the School, Faculty of Health and Cheriton School of Computer Science are also working to develop the structure of the eye data repository.
Labs
Led by Dr. Jennifer Hunter, AOWL is dedicated to developing and applying novel tools for retinal imaging that provide new information on cellular structure and function.
Headed by Dr. Benjamin Thompson, the HVN lab focuses on development and plasticity of the human visual cortex.
The lab of Dr. Natalie Hutchings focuses on ocular imaging, optics, aberrations and spectacle lens design.
Led by Dr. Paul Murphy, the MLEO undertakes interdisciplinary studies to investigate the interactions between the anterior ocular surface, eyelids and tear film.
Headed by Dr. Vivian Choh, the OBP Lab’s research areas include loss of near vision with age, cataracts, myopia and retinal degeneration.
The lab of Dr. Austin Roorda designs, builds and uses advanced optical tools to study the structure and function of the retina in healthy and diseased eyes.
Led by Dr. Vasudevan “Vengu” Lakshminarayanan, the multi-disciplinary TEEL works in areas including image processing, optical sciences and AI.
Headed by Dr. Kristine Dalton, the V&MP Lab is dedicated to clinical care for athletes and research with the aim of improving athletic performance.
Led by Dr. Krista Kelly, the Vision and Neurodevelopment Lab focuses on how the developing brain is affected by atypical experiences early in life, such as visual deprivation.