Frontiers in Vision Science: from the Laboratory to the Optometry Clinic

2 credits (3 ECTS Credits)

Introduction

The course aims to deepen the students’ knowledge of cutting-edge research findings that are relevant in the optometry world. Secondary objectives include clinical research tools, assessment and critical reading of research, and scientific writing.

Course Structure

  • Zoom sessions
  • Weekly discussions about the meaning of the research papers and their application in the clinics

Active group-based learning seeking research papers to answer clinical questions

Learning Outcomes

  1. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:
  2. Describe recent developments in the Optometric research world
  3. Critically assess a research paper
  4. Concisely describe a research paper goal and main findings
  5. Deduce from research findings to the clinic
    Describe faults with the research methodology or discussion, or suggest alternatives to the existing methodology or interpretation
  6. Identify graphs and tables relating to the main findings and describe the conclusions based on these findings
  7. Conduct an academic search for peer reviewed research papers on Optometric topics

Write an academic review of an Optometric topic

Topics Covered

The course is dynamic and changes annually based on recent findings published. Lately, the course has focused on topics such as myopia prevention, visual acuity measurement, low contrast visual acuity, prescribing prisms, making decisions in prescribing, perceptual learning and neurovision, corneal hysteresis and glaucoma, wavefront aberrations in the optometric clinic.

Assessment

  • Participation in discussions – 20%
  • Weekly summaries of readings – 20%
  • Final summary project which reviews a topic discussed in the classroom including a newly selected research paper on the topic –60%.

    Instructor

    Dr. Liat Gantz is an Israeli Optometrist with a Bachelors of Optometry and a minor BSc in computer science from Bar Ilan University, Israel. She completed her PhD in vision science in the field of psychophysics of depth perception from the University of Houston College of Optometry (TX, USA) in 2009, followed by a post doc in the field of clinical electrophysiology and another post doc in the field of psychophysics of depth perception. Dr. Gantz is a senior lecturer of Optometry and the director of the Masters of Optometry (M.Optom) program at Hadassah Academic College (Jerusalem, Israel). She is an active researcher in the field of depth perception and clinical optometry, a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and the European Academy of Optometry, and an expert reviewer to several scientific journals in the field of vision research.

For information about registration, guest lecturers, and dates PRESS HERE

 

For more information:

Please contact: international@hac.ac.il
Program Director: Dr. Liat Gantz
Program Administrator: Ms. Alisa Gania
Department Chairperson: Dr. Hadas Ben-Eli