Anglia Ruskin University

2008 Research Assessment Exercise

Anglia Ruskin University's Vision and Eye Research Unit achieved outstanding performances in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.

The recent RAE 2008 recognized world class and international levels of research activity in the field of vision and eye research at our University:

• 5% was rated 4* ('quality that is world-leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour'),
• 10% was rated 3* ('quality that is internationally excellent in terms of originality, significance and rigour but which nonetheless falls short of the highest standards of excellence'),
• 40% was rated 2* ('quality that is recognized internationally in terms of originality, significance and rigour').

This was a significant achievement considering that research in vision was initiated in Optometry only from 2001 and staff were competing against well-established optometry departments. The aim of VERU is to build on existing research areas and to develop and facilitate further opportunities for the forthcoming Research Excellence Framework (REF2013).

By collaborating with a range of international partners, our University has been able to perform groundbreaking research that confirms our position as a world leader in these related fields. Yet, more importantly, our staff and postgraduate students have worked on critically important projects that have enormous positive impact on the lives of people throughout the world.


Working with international research partners - from Texas to Australia
Our Vision and Eye Research Unit forms part of a large research consortium funded by the Australian Government (Vision CRC). We have succeeded in identifying important factors that influence myopic progression, specifically the role of spherical aberration and accommodative disorders in the progression of myopia. Findings from our research have been used in the development of a new contact lens designed to arrest the progression of myopia, and which has been patented in a number of countries.

Our research in eye movements, in collaboration with the University of Texas at Austin, has developed a new, strong framework for revealing human strategies through eye tracking, one that operates at two orders of magnitude faster than existing methods.


Vision loss with ageing
This support has enabled colleague at our University to resolve the important question of whether visual loss in ageing is primarily due to neural or optical processes. By showing that the peripheral neurones in older subjects show selective losses, they have made it possible to identify early 'normal' losses.

Impacting the lives of people around the globe By carrying out one of the largest surveys of its kind, Vision and Eye researchers at Anglia Ruskin have revealed a significant need for refractive services in Bangladesh and Pakistan. This research has led to the first, comprehensive eye-care plan to be rolled out by the governments of these countries.

Our researchers have also succeeded in identifying important strategies for the avoidance of cross-infection with prions, the agents of fatal spongiform encephalopathies such as CJD. They have highlighted the risks of systemic cyclosporin A in preventing corneal transplant rejection, while colleagues have demonstrated the impact of age, duration, socio-economic and lifestyle issues that affect diabetic retinopathy in South Asians.


Anglia Ruskin has a well-earned reputation as a pioneer in Vision and Eye Research.
It is our intention to build on our success to continue to attract additional funding from external sources and to make a real difference in these critically important areas; an aim that is well supported by the experience and expertise of our staff, as well as the commitment and enthusiasm of our postgraduate students.