Publishing a study in a peer-reviewed journal while still a student might seem an ambitious goal. But for last year’s CooperVision FORCE Student of the Year, this was just one of several milestones after winning the coveted award.
Fiona Buckmaster of Glasgow Caledonian University took the top title in the 2015 competition. Since then she has attended two major international contact lens conferences and this month will have her FORCE study published in the journal, Cornea. Not only that, Fiona also spent time last summer in Africa where she developed a self-assessment vision test for use in schools. Back home, she is still to graduate.
This year’s FORCE students were equally accomplished as they presented on topics ranging from multifocal lens fitting and myopia control to complex laboratory studies. ‘The standard of entries has risen each year and this has been the closest competition yet,’ said chairman of the judging panel, Nick Rumney.
Research and creativity
FORCE (Future Ocular Research Creativity Event) is an annual competition pitching students from universities all over Europe against each other. Students are invited to undertake a research project on a contact lens subject of their choice and to present their findings. Entries are judged on the evidence for and importance of the project, and the quality and clarity of presentation.
Winners from each national competition go forward to the FORCE European final for a chance to take the title CooperVision FORCE Student of Year. The prize is a full delegate package to attend an international contact lens meeting.
The 2016 final took place at CooperVision’s Centre of Innovation in Budapest, Hungary, in April. Teams of students and their university supervisors from nine countries took part and also toured the company’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility on the same site.
Research without tears
Overall winner was Izabela Garaszczuk, a student from Wroclaw University of Technology in Poland. Supervised by Dr Robert Iskander, Izabela had evaluated tear turnover rate using two techniques – Fourier transform profilometry and optical coherence tomography – that allowed direct assessment of tear film dynamics across the whole ocular surface (see box on page opposite).
Izabela Garaszczuk, right, receives her award from chairman of the judging panel Nick Rumney and CooperVision’s European professional services director, Sue CockayneSecond place went to Michela Marton from the University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy for her study of a glaucoma drug-delivery system using a bio-polymer contact lens.
Michela showed that lenses made from the natural polymer chitosan were effective in delivering timolol. Glutaraldehyde incorporated in the lenses for stability was not released and no evidence of cytotoxicity was observed.
UK finalist Romana Khaliq, another student from Glasgow Caledonian University, took third place for a comparison of tear evaporation rates between two contact lens materials under different environmental conditions.
Romana measured tear evaporation at high and low relative humidity using two instruments: the ServoMed research evaporimeter and a new clinical evaporimeter, the Delfin VapoMeter. The ServoMed device showed no significant difference between materials within 30 minutes of insertion. With the Delfin, hydrogel lenses did increase evaporation but the SiH lenses showed no significant change in evaporation rate.
Future secured
Presenting the awards on behalf of the judges, Nick Rumney congratulated all the students on reaching the final: ‘Your future is secured, you will complete your studies, and you will grow professionally and personally from this experience.’
Dr Ian Pearce, senior lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University, agreed with that assessment. He has supervised all three Glasgow students= who have reached the FORCE final – including Romana Khaliq – and two previous overall winners.
‘FORCE allows them to experience what it’s like to work in a research environment and it’s often the first opportunity that they’ve had to do that. Hopefully they develop all sorts of transferable skills – research skills, presentation skills, data analysis. For some, it might be the beginning of a research career. Even for those who don’t go into research, it makes them more critical of research they see and informs their clinical practice.’
Students are judged on the quality and clarity of presentation, as well as on their project
Dr Pearce said there were also advantages to supervisors and to their universities to participating in FORCE. ‘I’d say to colleagues: do it. It’s good for the students, and it’s good for you. It’s a missed opportunity if you don’t take it up.’
For Student of the Year Izabela Garaszczuk there is clearly a bright future ahead and winning this competition is just the beginning.
‘I feel really excited!’ she said. ‘The level of competition was so high and the presentations were amazing. I’ve met some wonderful people and established contacts in my field of study. Taking part in FORCE has pushed me further and it will help me a lot.’
The winning project
Several studies have shown an association between delayed tear turnover and signs and symptoms of ocular discomfort, irritation and inflammation. New imaging techniques now allow a better understanding of tear film dynamics that could lead to improved diagnostic methods.
Izabela’s study used a corneo-scleral Fourier transform profilometer (Eye Surface Profiler, Eaglet Eye) to assess tear turnover rate. She then took dynamic measurements of tear meniscus height with anterior-segment OCT (Optopol, pictured right).
Tear turnover rate measured with the profilometer correlated with McMonnies questionnaire score and with tear film break-up time. When assessed by OCT, turnover rate correlated with blink frequency and tear film break-up time.
Both methods had good repeatability.
The profilometer could be used as a multitool for contact lens fitting as well as tear clearance rate measurements, which increased its clinical utility, she said. Analysis of dynamic tear meniscus height measurements as well as fluorescence decay curves provided further quantitative and qualitative information.
Teams and topics
Tereza Cernohousová, Czech Technical University, Prague, Czech Republic
Supervisor: Professor Ing Jirí Novák
Influence of aberrations on basic vision quality parameters.
Izabela Garaszczuk, Wroclaw University of Technology, Poland
Supervisor: Dr Robert Iskander
Tear turnover rate evaluation with Fourier transform profilometry and optical coherence tomography
Romana Khaliq, Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland
Supervisor: Dr Ian Pearce
The effect of contact lenses on tear evaporation rate.
Nathalie Klaassen and Christy van der Plaat, University of Applied Sciences, Utrecht, the Netherlands
Supervisors: Louise van Doorn and Mirjam van Tilborg
Time required to reach stability after long-term contact lens wear.
Supervisor: Associate Professor Lars Bo Delkus
The association between myopia, pupil diameter and cataract.
Marina Martín and Rocio Robledo, European University Madrid, Spain
Supervisor: Christina Alvarez Peregrina
Pilot study of the effects of multifocal lenses, comparing quality of life between wearers of spectacles and contact lenses.
Michela Marton, University of Milano-Bicocca, Italy
Supervisor: Silvia Tavazzi
Realisation and characterisation of a biopolymeric material functionalised for contact lenses.
Compromises of multifocal contact lenses.
Mehdi Yahiani, University of Paris-Sud, Orsay, France
Supervisor: Frédéric Ponche
Soft contact lenses to control myopia.
Judges
- Chairman Nick Rumney, BBR Optometry, Hereford, UK
- Pascale Dauthuile, University of Paris-Sud, France
- Elena Garcia Rubio, National Institute of Optometry, Madrid, Spain
- Giancarlo Montani, University of Salento, Lecce, Italy
- Dr Beáta Tapasztó, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
For more information on CooperVision FORCE and how to enter, visit coopervision-force.com