PhD Study : The digital revolution in eye-care: Are measures of visual function with modern displays equivalent to those from legacy tests?

Summary

Digital displays are ubiquitous in modern daily life. In many areas, such displays have replaced, or are in the process of replacing, conventional items such hard-copy books, analogue watches and car dashboard gauges. Similarly, many clinical vision tests are increasingly being presented on a range of modern visual displays ranging from LCD monitors to OLED displays for use in the home and clinical settings; a move away from antiquated (but still regularly used) non-digital systems. Measurements obtained from these devices are relied upon by clinicians to make decisions about patient wellbeing and treatment, and therefore need to be fit-for-purpose to meet the challenges of modern-day clinical practice. Despite the positive move to more modern platforms, it is still imperative that legacy measures, often collected over decades, can be incorporated into the determination of disease stability or otherwise. Thus, there is a need to ensure that the benefits of novel platforms are not offset by an inability to use legacy data.

While digital displays offer many advantages for the presentation of vision tests, previous work undertaken by our group and others has identified that temporal and spatial display issues, although invisible, can induce neural artefacts at the level of the retina and visual cortex. It is also currently unknown whether the effects vary with display form or are amplified in patients with ocular disease where deficits in spatial and temporal visual function may be present. Crucially such artefacts may impact upon clinical measurements, and it is unknown if such outputs may be reliably compared with measures from conventional ‘legacy’ platforms. Moreover, as clinical vision tests are increasingly being used to evaluate novel treatments such as those that offer a neuroprotective action, monitor display artefacts may confound the detection of subtle changes in retinal function.

Many artefacts may be minimised through careful setup and calibration of display monitors. While this is the case, the accuracy of such calibrations and the degree to which they account for display artefacts is unknown. For example, while luminance output may be accounted for by gamma correction, this holds for only one location on the display, with it being reported that luminance can vary across some display surfaces by up to 78%. This is problematic when more than one location on the display is being used for the presentation of stimuli and the collection of visual thresholds.

Objectives of the research project: The overarching aim of this PhD project will be to examine how modern visual display monitors influence the measurement of visual function in participants with and without ocular disease. We also wish to identify the optimal display type (i.e., CRT, OLED, LCD) to perform various clinical vision tests and propose methods to overcome neural artefacts introduced through the use of modern displays. This work will also directly inform the optimal platform to host novel vision tests currently under development within our group.

The student will become part of a long-established, multi-disciplinary, UK-wide team of collaborators including research partners at Cardiff University and UCL.

AccessNI clearance required

Please note, the successful candidate will be required to obtain AccessNI clearance prior to registration due to the nature of the project.

Essential criteria

Applicants should hold, or expect to obtain, a First or Upper Second Class Honours Degree in a subject relevant to the proposed area of study.

We may also consider applications from those who hold equivalent qualifications, for example, a Lower Second Class Honours Degree plus a Master’s Degree with Distinction.

In exceptional circumstances, the University may consider a portfolio of evidence from applicants who have appropriate professional experience which is equivalent to the learning outcomes of an Honours degree in lieu of academic qualifications.

• Sound understanding of subject area as evidenced by a comprehensive research proposal
• Clearly defined research proposal detailing background, research questions, aims and methodology

Desirable Criteria

If the University receives a large number of applicants for the project, the following desirable criteria may be applied to shortlist applicants for interview.

• Completion of Masters at a level equivalent to commendation or distinction at Ulster
• Experience using research methods or other approaches relevant to the subject domain
• Sound understanding of subject area as evidenced by a comprehensive research proposal
• Work experience relevant to the proposed project
• Publications record appropriate to career stage
• Experience of presentation of research findings
• A comprehensive and articulate personal statement
• Relevant professional qualification and/or a Degree in a Health or Health related area

Funding and eligibility

The University offers the following levels of support:

Vice Chancellors Research Studentship (VCRS)

The following scholarship options are available to applicants worldwide:

• Full Award: (full-time tuition fees + £19,000 (tbc))
• Part Award: (full-time tuition fees + £9,500)
• Fees Only Award: (full-time tuition fees)

These scholarships will cover full-time PhD tuition fees for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance) and will provide a £900 per annum research training support grant (RTSG) to help support the PhD researcher.

Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Please note: you will automatically be entered into the competition for the Full Award, unless you state otherwise in your application.

Department for the Economy (DFE)

The scholarship will cover tuition fees at the Home rate and a maintenance allowance of £19,000 (tbc) per annum for three years (subject to satisfactory academic performance).

This scholarship also comes with £900 per annum for three years as a research training support grant (RTSG) allocation to help support the PhD researcher.

• Candidates with pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, who also satisfy a three year residency requirement in the UK prior to the start of the course for which a Studentship is held MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance.
• Republic of Ireland (ROI) nationals who satisfy three years’ residency in the UK prior to the start of the course MAY receive a Studentship covering fees and maintenance (ROI nationals don’t need to have pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme to qualify).
• Other non-ROI EU applicants are ‘International’ are not eligible for this source of funding.
• Applicants who already hold a doctoral degree or who have been registered on a programme of research leading to the award of a doctoral degree on a full-time basis for more than one year (or part-time equivalent) are NOT eligible to apply for an award.

Due consideration should be given to financing your studies. Further information on cost of living