February 2008 – School Of Optometry Cardiff

Another month has passed and what have I done …

I have had a trip to a very modern minimal building in Cardiff, part of the University which houses the School of Optometry and Vision Services. Here (as well as part time film set for Dr. Who and Torchwood) PhD students and Professors study as well as performing research into eye diseases such as Keratoconis.

This research requires substantial amounts of funding, some of which is raised by the Eye Clinic, located on site and open the general public. In addition to performing eye examinations and dispensing, there are highly specialised clinics in low vision and assessing the needs of those who cannot communicate in the usual way. For more information regarding the Cardiff Eye Clinic see http://www.cf.ac.uk/optom/eyeclinic/index.html.

On a more scientific note, it was amazing to see their electron microscope, which sits on a bench in one of the labs! This is where the initial scientific investigation begins before progressing to the room sized beamlines at Diamond! The data from the Keratoconis experiments performed at Diamond in December has not yet been processed but I wonder how those images would compare to ones produced on the equipment here. Is this even possible and if so would they relate in any visible way to each other?

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