Archives: Core News

WATERLOO, Ontario, July 6, 2022—In response to fast-emerging clinical interest about neuropathic ocular pain, the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) is taking action to create more understanding of the issue among the global eye care community.

“While most practitioners commonly treat physiological pain, which stems from structural damage or stimuli, they’re often less confident in their abilities to diagnose and address neuropathic ocular pain, which results from nerve signal deficiency or nerve damage,” said Alex Hui, OD, PhD, FAAO, head of BioSciences for CORE. “Greater awareness, understanding, and consideration of neuropathic pain as part of the diagnosis and differential diagnosis process, plus familiarity with options to help patients navigate the challenge, is essential for evolved care.”

In primary eye care settings, neuropathic corneal pain is most commonly observed in patients experiencing dry eye, having herpetic corneal infection, and following kerato-refractive or cataract surgery. While the TFOS DEWS and DEWS II reports have elevated the issue, there is still widespread misinterpretation of neuropathic pain as physiological discomfort.

As part of its efforts to educate practitioners, CORE has dedicated Issue 66 of Contact Lens Update to the issue. The bi-monthly publication is available at no charge by visiting ContactLensUpdate.com.

Anat Galor, staff physician at the Miami VA and associate professor of Ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami, along with recent medical school graduate, Sneh Patel, contribute the editorial. The authors provide a systematic overview of neuropathic pain and its manifestation in the eye. A comprehensive summary of the state of the art in respect to the diagnoses and treatment of ocular neuropathic pain rounds off the editorial.

Jessica Steen, assistant professor at Nova Southeastern Univiersity College of Optometry, provides the feature article that highlights a retrospective case-series assessing post-LASIK neuropathic pain. These findings demonstrate the importance of careful patient selection, assessment of risk factors and post-operative evaluation in preventing the development of neuropathic corneal pain in those who undergo LASIK.

Prism Eye Institute’s Richard Maharaj shares his expertise in the form of a clinical insight.  A comprehensive case-report outlines the evaluation, treatment, and follow-up of a patient with mild dry-eye and post-LASIK neuropathic pain. Maharaj demonstrates how a thorough assessment, multimodal treatment algorithm, and collaboration between eye care practitioners and other health care providers, results in greatly improved quality of life in those affected by neuropathic ocular pain.

The conference highlight is shared by Pedram Hamrah, interim chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology and Professor of Ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine. This poster demonstrates the similarity in morphological changes of the corneal nerves in symptomatic and intolerant contact lens wearers, and those with neuropathic corneal pain. The findings from this study suggest a neurosensory component to contact lens discomfort.

In addition to a complete archive of back issues, ContactLensUpdate.com offers a resource library that provides no-cost professional tools, patient resources, images and video. It also houses complimentary technical training videos produced by International Association of Contact Lens Educators, plus an industry glossary. Industry professionals can access the latest issue directly from ContactLensUpdate.com or quickly sign up for email receipt of future issues.

The publication receives support from the educational arms of Alcon, Cooper Vision, and Johnson & Johnson Vision.

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About the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE)
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) was established in 1988 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science. Over the next three decades, the organization evolved from a three-person operation into a thriving hub of basic and applied research, collaborating with sponsors, agencies and academia on advanced biosciences, clinical research and education. Its uncompromising independence and results of the highest quality have been at the heart of many of the most prominent advances in eye health. Today, its approximately 50-person team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment. For more information, please visit core.uwaterloo.ca.

MEDIA CONTACTS
Aimee J. Lewis or Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA, McDougall Communications for CORE
aimee@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.414.9838  |  mike@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.545.1815

New Research Published in Contact Lens and Anterior Eye;
Illustrates Differences Between Oxidative and Non-Oxidative Lens Care Systems  

 WATERLOO, ONTARIO, June 9, 2022—A new study conducted by the University of Waterloo Department of Chemical Engineering and the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) has determined that human coronaviruses can easily be removed from contact lens surfaces, although regimen matters depending on the type of lens care solution. Most notably, rub and rinse steps are crucial for non-oxidative systems, while products containing hydrogen peroxide and povidone-iodine removed contaminants through soaking alone.

The impact of a rub and rinse regimen on removal of human coronaviruses from contemporary contact lens materials (Nogueira C, et al) is in press from Contact Lens and Anterior Eye, the peer review journal of the British Contact Lens Association.

While an ocular pathway has not been demonstrated to be a primary route of entry for SARS-CoV-2, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has raised awareness about physical virus transmission via hands and fingers. However, there has been limited data regarding the attachment of viruses, particularly coronaviruses, across lens materials and the ability of contemporary contact lens care products to inactivate such.

To assess attachment bonds, researchers selected two seasonal human coronaviruses, HCoV-229E and HCoV-OC43 as surrogates for SARS-CoV-2, allowing for less pathogenicity while being in the same virus family with similar structures. Eight soft contact lens materials (including silicone hydrogels and hydrogels) and four RGP contact lens base materials (with and without a hydrophilic coating) were contaminated then soaked in a phosphate-buffered saline. Although viral particles were recovered when the lenses were removed from the passive saline soak, no detectable virus remained when the lenses were subjected to a single rinse, double rinse, or rub-and-rinse treatments.

Since a simple saline rinse step alone removed both virus types from all materials, two representative soft lens materials (one hydrogel and one silicone hydrogel) were chosen to evaluate care system efficacy for elimination of HCoV-229E. Investigators selected four representative contact lens care products (two oxidative and two non-oxidative). Both oxidative disinfection systems reduced the number of infectious viral particles that adhered to each material below the limit of quantification through soaking alone. The non-oxidative disinfection systems required a rub and rinse step to do the same.

“Our results indicated that human coronaviruses bind quite loosely to contact lens materials, which should provide peace of mind for the eye care community and wearers, as long as proper care occurs,” said Lyndon Jones, PhD, DSc, FCOptom, a paper co-author and CORE’s director. “Practitioners and manufacturers need to continue emphasizing the importance of following disinfection regimens, especially ensuring that a rub and rise step occurs prior to overnight disinfection when using non-oxidative systems.”

The complete paper and supplementary data are available at no cost from Contact Lens and Anterior eye at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clae.2022.101719. The study was funded by Ophtecs Corp.

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About the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE)
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) was established in 1988 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science. Over the next three decades, the organization evolved from a three-person operation into a thriving hub of basic and applied research, collaborating with sponsors, agencies and academia on advanced biosciences, clinical research and education. Its uncompromising independence and results of the highest quality have been at the heart of many of the most prominent advances in eye health. Today, its approximately 50-person team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment. For more information, please visit core.uwaterloo.ca.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Aimee J. Lewis or Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA, McDougall Communications for CORE
aimee@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.414.9838  |  mike@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.545.1815

Rochester, N.Y., May 23, 2022—For the third time in five years, McDougall Communications and the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) have received the global public relations industry’s top campaign honor—a Public Relations Society of America Silver Anvil Award. The latest recognition resulted from efforts to raise awareness among medical professionals and consumers about increases in dry eye symptoms during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as identifying steps to alleviate the discomfort.

The 18-month program is credited with drawing widespread attention to a new condition called MADE, or mask-associated dry eye. This initiative spurred more than 2,500 mainstream news reports on six continents, plus broad coverage by ophthalmic industry journalists. Eye care practitioners worldwide rapidly took note and adopted CORE’s guidance, providing much-appreciated patient relief.

A CORE-bylined feature story written as part of the program was also awarded a Bronze Anvil Award of Commendation, which are given to the industry’s best tactics.

Since 1944, the Anvil Awards have been presented to organizations that successfully address challenging issues with exemplary professional skill, creativity, and resourcefulness. They are often referred to as the Oscars of the public relations profession, owing to their stringent judging process and candidates from around the world.

McDougall Communications has been awarded multiple Anvils in recent years, spanning a range of clients, programs, and categories. For its work with CORE, the firm received the Silver Anvil in 2018 for a launch of the organization’s new brand, followed by a Bronze Anvil Award of Commendation in 2019 for digital innovation. In 2021, the McDougall and CORE received two additional Silver Anvils plus an Award of Excellence for spearheading a worldwide crisis response to COVID-19 misinformation about contact lens wear.

Other 2022 Anvil honorees included St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Delta Airlines, UPS, Royal Caribbean Group, and the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office for communications central to its prosecution of Derek Chauvin. The awards were presented on May 19 during a ceremony at Manhattan’s Edison Ballroom.

“It’s a privilege to partner with CORE on some of the timeliest issues in ocular health, helping eye care practitioners and the public gain access to reliable, accurate, and relevant information that affects vision. Congratulations to that incredible team of researchers, clinicians, and educators—and to all of this year’s Anvil winners” said Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA, the firm’s president.

The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) was established in 1988 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science. Its basic and applied research collaborations with sponsors, agencies, and academia on advanced biosciences, clinical research and education have been at the heart of prominent eye health advances. The 50-person CORE team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment. For more information, please visit core.uwaterloo.ca.

McDougall Communications (mcdougallpr.com), founded in 2011, assists clients across the Americas, Europe and Asia-Pacific meet their business objectives through a range of communications services, including strategic planning, media and influencer relations, reputation and crisis counsel, and social media management. It is the most senior standalone public relations and reputation management firm in Upstate New York and its groundbreaking work regularly shapes global communications advancements.

WATERLOO, Ontario, April 19, 2022—The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) has appointed Rosa Yang, OD, FAAO, as a clinical research associate, a move that supports the growing use of specialty contact lenses worldwide. Dr. Yang also serves as a clinical instructor at the University of Waterloo School of Optometry & Vision Science and is a practicing optometrist in the Greater Toronto Area.

“Rosa’s work on improving the clinical efficacy of specialty lenses through optimized design and auxiliary technologies—especially for myopia control and visual rehabilitation—is a natural fit with CORE’s growing work in these sectors,” said Dr. Lyndon Jones, CORE’s director.

Dr. Yang’s cornea and contact lens residency at the University of Waterloo focused on managing patients who exhibited corneal ectasia and severe dry eye with specialty contact lenses, as well as myopia control therapies that included orthokeratology. At the 2020 Global Specialty Lens Symposium, she was lead author on the first place poster in the clinical category, Special Considerations in Managing a Patient with Penetrating Trauma Using Gas Permeable Contact Lens.

She is a past recipient of the American Academy of Optometry Sheldon Wechsler Contact Lens Residency Award, recognizing talented optometric residents who demonstrate a passion and commitment to practice, research, and education.

CORE’s specialty contact lens-related work spans a range of program areas, including design optimization for orthokeratology, scleral lens physiological performance, and the impact of scleral lenses on ocular surface disease and dry eye management.

“As specialty lenses become more embedded in mainstream clinical practice, CORE is committed to maintaining our leadership in fundamental and clinical research, in addition to the development of professional educational materials,” said Dr. Jones. “We’re enthusiastic about Dr. Yang enriching our specialty capacity—an important area for CORE that will grow even stronger in the coming months.”

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About the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE)
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) – formerly known as the Centre for Contact Lens Research – was established in 1988 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science. Over the next three decades, the organization evolved from a three-person operation into a thriving hub of basic and applied research, collaborating with sponsors, agencies and academia on advanced biosciences, clinical research and education. Its uncompromising independence and results of the highest quality have been at the heart of many of the most prominent advances in eye health. Today, its approximately 50-person team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment. For more information, please visit core.uwaterloo.ca.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Aimee J. Lewis or Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA
McDougall Communications for CORE
aimee@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.414.9838  |  mike@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.434.2150

Ocuball Eliminates Odor and BioHazards

WATERLOO, Ontario, April 8, 2022—Optometry educators and students in five countries are now using a novel eye model to replace traditional animal-based methods for foreign body removal. OcuBlink, Inc., has shipped its polymer-based eye model, OcuBall, to nearly a dozen colleges and universities in Australia, Canada, Puerto Rico, the United States and United Kingdom.

OcuBall feels like a human eye and simulates a realistic response to embedded foreign bodies, similar to those found in clinical environments. It replaces animal-based methods in optometry training environments while eliminating safety concerns related to handling, disposal and storage of biological tissue.

“There is an immediate ‘wow’ factor when students begin using OcuBalls in our didactic labs,” said Navjit K. Sanghera, OD, FAAO, ocular disease curriculum coordinator and associate professor of optometry at the Illinois College of Optometry, who has been using OcuBalls for three years. “Second year students find the realistic feel helpful in gaining confidence and experience removing foreign bodies. The eyeballs have become a wonderful addition to our curriculum.”

OcuBall comes premade with metal steel particles inserted on the surface of the eye to provide a realistic, safe and inexpensive clinical scenario for the practice of foreign body removal. Over time, the metal pieces can rust and form a typical rust ring, just as they do in the human eye. Use in educational settings helps optometry students practice and gain confidence in the removal of materials from the eye.

Made of a biocompatible polymer-based material, OcuBall eliminates concerns of cross-contamination and biological waste. OcuBall can be stored in saline for several weeks without spoilage and has no odor.

OcuBlink began as an initiative of the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) and now operates as an affiliate, utilizing CORE’s staffing, counsel and laboratories. In the fall of 2018, OcuBlink was accepted into Velocity, Canada’s most productive startup incubator. Last year, OcuBlink, Inc., announced its development of a life-like in-vitro eye model that reduces dependence on animal testing to understand the science of the eye.

For more information, visit OcuBlink.com.

Download Images and Video

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About OcuBlink Inc.
OcuBlink develops sophisticated in vitro eye models for ophthalmic companies to accelerate research and development of products for the eye. These include devices for studying anterior and posterior eye disease and contact lens offerings, and its platforms have already been the subject of six conference abstracts and seven papers highlighting the technology. OcuBlink is affiliated with the Centre for Ocular Research and Education (CORE), based at the School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. For more information, visit OcuBlink.com.

About the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE)
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) – formerly known as the Centre for Contact Lens Research – was established in 1988 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science. Over the next three decades, the organization evolved from a three-person operation into a thriving hub of basic and applied research, collaborating with sponsors, agencies and academia on advanced biosciences, clinical research and education. Its uncompromising independence and results of the highest quality have been at the heart of many of the most prominent advances in eye health. Today, its approximately 50-person team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment. For more information, please visit core.uwaterloo.ca.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Aimee J. Lewis or Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA
McDougall Communications for CORE
aimee@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.414.9838  |  mike@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.434.2150

CORE-Conducted Clinical Study Published in Optometry & Vision Science; Promising Findings Offer Potential for Eye Care Community & Patients

WATERLOO, ONTARIO, February 9, 2022—A newly-published study conducted by the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) indicates that a novel combination of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids ingested as a dietary supplement significantly improves symptoms in people who suffer from severe dry eye disease. Essential fatty acids are an established therapy, yet this is the first clinical trial to demonstrate the effect of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, and γ-linoleic acid in such a population.

Effect of a Novel Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fatty Acid Supplement on Dry Eye Disease: A 3-month Randomized Controlled Trial (Ng A, et al) appears in the January 2022 edition (Volume 99, Issue 1) of Optometry and Vision Science, the peer review journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

The prospective, randomized, double-masked parallel group study assessed daily use of a supplement containing omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids (1200 mg eicosapentaenoic acid, 300 mg docosahexaenoic acid, 150 mg γ-linoleic acid) or the placebo (coconut and olive oil) for three months. Participants with baseline Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI) scores >52 demonstrated a substantial improvement in symptoms with the treatment at the study’s conclusion, averaging a 20.8 point reduction. That compared to a 7.8 point reduction in the similarly-symptomatic placebo group.

“These study participants were far more symptomatic than other published trials involving omega-3 supplementation, allowing for additional analysis,” said Alison Ng, PhD, MCOptom, FAAO, CORE clinical scientist and the paper’s first author. “The Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society Dry Eye Workshop II (TFOS DEWS II) report recommended dietary supplementation with omega-3 as the first stage of management for dry eye disease. Our findings suggest that even the most severe sufferers can benefit from a meaningful improvement in symptoms with omega-3 and -6 supplementation.”

Approximately one in eleven people experience dry eye disease. Its prevalence is on the rise, owing to lifestyle changes including increased use of digital screens. Besides the impact on their daily activities, patients with dry eye disease may further experience changes to their vision and quality of life.

The paper’s authors recommend that future studies examine the effects of early dietary supplementation with omega-3 and -6 fatty acids in patients presenting with mild-to-moderate dry eye disease to understand potential benefits. They also advise that further research among highly symptomatic participants is warranted.

The study was supported by Nature’s Way of Canada.

# # #About the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE)
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) was established in 1988 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science. Over the next three decades, the organization evolved from a three-person operation into a thriving hub of basic and applied research, collaborating with sponsors, agencies and academia on advanced biosciences, clinical research and education. Its uncompromising independence and results of the highest quality have been at the heart of many of the most prominent advances in eye health. Today, its approximately 50-person team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment. For more information, please visit core.uwaterloo.ca.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Aimee J. Lewis or Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA, McDougall Communications for CORE
aimee@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.414.9838  |  mike@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.545.1815

Clinical and Experimental Optometry Paper Offers Evidence to Dispel Misconceptions Held by Eye Care Practitioners

WATERLOO, ONTARIO, January 25, 2021— A new peer-review paper from the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) seeks to shift persistent views about contact lenses that are no longer accurate based on current evidence. Addressing common myths and misconceptions in soft contact lens practice (Walsh K, Jones L, Moody K) is published from Clinical and Experimental Optometry, the official journal of Optometry Australia, the New Zealand Association of Optometrists, and the Hong Kong Society of Professional Optometrists.

The work offers contemporary evidence that challenges ten legacy perspectives held by eye care practitioners, which can prevent optimal patient care and business success. Members of the eye care community can download the complete publication at no cost via Open Access.

“In 1992, Nathan Efron explored a variety of common myths and mistruths around the fitting and wearing of contact lenses. Remarkably, three decades later, more than half of the current misconceptions we’ve identified were also acknowledged in those original papers. While there has been extraordinary technological and clinical progress over that same time, it has proven more difficult to shake off some long-held incorrect views and established clinical practices,” said Lyndon Jones, CORE’s director.

The authors grouped the top ten present-day myths into three broad categories—contact lenses and care systems, patient-related concerns, and business focused barriers—then reviewed each with clear evidence-based data and practical guidance. The misconceptions include:

1. Increasing oxygen transmissibility improves lens comfort,
2. Hydrogels should no longer be fitted,
3. Patients will be more successful wearing contact lens materials that demonstrate low levels of deposition,
4. When a patient reports discomfort, the first—and most appropriate—option is to change the lens,
5. Young children are less successful with contact lenses,
6. Multifocal fitting is not successful,
7. Wearer non-compliance can make contact lens wear just too risky,
8. Patients with low astigmatism do fine with spherical lenses,
9. Focusing on growing my contact lens business is too time-consuming,
10. And my contact lens business will not grow because as many patients as I fit end up dropping out.

Evidence was available to debunk nine of the ten beliefs. This opens the door for eye care practitioners to recommend and successfully fit contact lenses to a wide range of patients, from children through to seniors, using all soft lens material types and replacement frequency options. The literature review also demonstrates the business benefits of contact lens practice through proactive recommendation and paying attention to factors that drive successful wear and reduce drop out.

And while the remaining belief that non-compliance leads to an increased risk of complications holds true, the evidence-base highlights many factors that are modifiable and within the scope of the eye care practitioner to help mitigate such risk. These include appropriate lens recommendations (e.g., daily disposables) and educating wearers to encourage good wear and care practice adherence.

In closing, the authors write that “practitioners have an ever-increasing range of contact lens designs and materials across different replacement frequencies to offer patients interested in becoming contact lens wearers and to then maintain them successfully in contact lenses over many years. Ensuring clinical practice follows the evidence base, which will change over time, is the most appropriate way to help many more patients access the benefits of contact lenses.”

The paper was supported through an educational grant from Johnson & Johnson Vision.

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About the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE)
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) was established in 1988 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science. Over the next three decades, the organization evolved from a three-person operation into a thriving hub of basic and applied research, collaborating with sponsors, agencies and academia on advanced biosciences, clinical research and education. Its uncompromising independence and results of the highest quality have been at the heart of many of the most prominent advances in eye health. Today, its approximately 50-person team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment. For more information, please visit core.uwaterloo.ca.

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Aimee J. Lewis or Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA, McDougall Communications for CORE
aimee@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.414.9838  |  mike@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.545.1815

WATERLOO, ONTARIO, January 5, 2022—The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) has appointed Alex Hui, OD, PhD, FAAO, as head of Biosciences. Dr. Hui is currently a senior lecturer at the School of Optometry and Vision Science at UNSW Sydney. He will soon relocate to CORE’s facility in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

“Dr. Hui is a very well respected educator, optometrist, and researcher with the exact skill-set and background to serve as our Biosciences head. His outstanding knowledge of the ocular surface, combined with his extensive lecturing on ocular therapeutic drugs and a PhD in ocular drug delivery, aligns with our ongoing initiatives and mission. We are absolutely delighted to bring Alex back to Waterloo and are excited to have him lead the CORE Biosciences platform,” said Lyndon Jones, PhD, DSc, FCOptom, FAAO, CORE’s director.

Before joining UNSW in 2015, Dr. Hui completed his optometry training and PhD at the University of Waterloo School of Optometry & Vision Science and CORE. He is an author on more than 30 peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed publications and has been an invited speaker at conferences worldwide. In addition to drug delivery systems, his research has been focused on ocular therapeutics, myopia control, and contact lenses. Dr. Hui is also an associate editor for Clinical and Experimental Optometry.

“CORE has continued to build an international reputation for high quality research, which I’ve admired during my seven years in Australia,” said Dr. Hui. “It’s been a privilege to spend time with everyone at UNSW, and I’m excited about this new opportunity to work with a fantastic group of researchers and personnel back in Canada.”

CORE’s current Head of Biosciences Dr. William Ngo has been appointed as an assistant professor at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science, reflecting his ever-growing contributions to the field. He will continue to collaborate with CORE and its research team in his chosen area of ocular surface disease.

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About the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE)
The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) was established in 1988 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science. Over the next three decades, the organization evolved from a three-person operation into a thriving hub of basic and applied research, collaborating with sponsors, agencies and academia on advanced biosciences, clinical research and education. Its uncompromising independence and results of the highest quality have been at the heart of many of the most prominent advances in eye health. Today, its approximately 50-person team serves a range of ophthalmic sectors, including medical devices, ocular pharmaceuticals, digital technology and others, with a focus on the anterior segment. For more information, please visit core.uwaterloo.ca.

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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Aimee J. Lewis or Mike McDougall, APR, Fellow PRSA, McDougall Communications for CORE
aimee@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.414.9838  |  mike@mcdougallpr.com +1.585.545.1815