News

The World Health Organization estimates that 2.2 billion people globally have a vision impairment. Dr. Stan Woo, director of the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry and Vision Science, views this statistic as a call to action, one he and his colleagues are working to fix. New investments and innovations are creating better access to care.

Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs has announced the 25 finalists for the 2022-2023 GRADflix competition year, which includes seven finalists from the Faculty of Science.

An interdisciplinary team from the Faculty of Science, Faculty of Engineering and the University of Waterloo Optometry Clinic has been awarded $25,000 from the Graham Seed Fund for their vision robotics research.

January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. Glaucoma consists of a group of eye diseases that leads to irreversible vision loss from damage to the optic nerve. With a lack of symptoms showing and no cure for glaucoma, it is vital to get early intervention to prevent blindness. 

A new study is the first to show brain stimulation improves reading in patients with macular degeneration. Drug treatments only slow down the progression of the disease, but Waterloo scientists discovered they could train the brain to use the information it receives more efficiently.

Recent studies in Canada have suggested that approximately 20 per cent of children aged 3 to 6 years have visual problems, such as amblyopia or clinically significant refractive errors. To ensure children have optimal vision for learning, the School of Optometry & Vision Science is partnering with The Cowan Foundation and the Lions Club of Canada. Together, they will develop a coordinated vision plan for the Region of Waterloo Public Health to screen every child in senior kindergarten (SK).

The School of Optometry and Vision Science is celebrating a commitment of $1 million from IRIS, Canada’s most established network of optometrists, opticians and ophthalmologists.  

The School of Optometry and Vision Science is excited to announce that from now until October 15, 2023, Dr. Marta Witer and the Ihnatowycz Family Foundation are making a pledge to match all donations made by optometrists across Canada and the US, dollar for dollar - up to $1 million! These gifts will go towards the School of Optometry and Vision Science’s Seeing Beyond 2020 campaign to help fund the Waterloo Eye Institute (WEI).

The School of Optometry & Vision Science is renaming its Centre for Sight Enhancement to celebrate a $1.5 million gift from longtime supporters George (OD ’64, DSc ’19) and Judy Woo. This is the largest donation the School has received in its history.

The University of Waterloo's School of Optometry and Vision Science is announcing a $1 million partnership with the Region of Waterloo, expanding community members' access to world-class eye and vision care through the new Waterloo Eye Institute.