Bionic Eye Researcher
Career Highlights
- Lauren completed a Bachelor of Optometry at Melbourne University and graduated in 2004
- She worked for several months at a public health facility, the Australian College of Optometry, before returning to study for her PhD
- Her PhD examined the effect of poor ocular focusing and eye movement control in children and the correlation with reading performance. The study also investigated the efficacy of a number of standard paediatric optometrical tests. Her PhD was conferred in August 2009.
- Lauren then spent a year working as a post-doc in a collaborative study between University of Melbourne, Latrobe University and the TAC looking at the diagnostic potential of eye movements in children with traumatic brain injuries.
- She has also been a clinical teacher at the Australian College of Optometry and also at Melbourne University since 2006, mainly working in the paediatric clinics.
- She has also done volunteer overseas aid work as an optometrist, including in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.
- Lauren’s current position is as the Clinical Research Co-ordinator of the Bionic Eye project. This large, multidisciplinary project aims to develop and implant a retinal prosthesis to restore sight to the blind by 2013. Her new role is based at the Eye and Ear Hospital and involves direct research, clinical testing and co-ordination of the research team.