PolyU's Integrative Community Health Centre

A newsletter of the School of Optometry

Vol. 11 | Issue 1 | 2013

PolyU’s Integrative

Community Health Centre

Receives Social Capital Builders Award

POLYU’S INTEGRATIVE COMMUNITY HEALTH CENTRE

RECEIVES SOCIAL CAPITAL BUILDERS AWARD

The Social Capital Builders (SCB) Award, which is supported by the Community Investment and Inclusion

Fund (CIIF) of the Labour and Welfare Bureau of the Hong Kong SAR Government, is bestowed on

organizations and projects it commends for fostering the development of a harmonious society through

mutual trust and help. This year, the CIIF granted SCB Award logo status to 121 organizations in

recognition of their contributions to social capital building in Hong Kong — and the School of

Optometry of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is delighted to be one of them!

Kwai Tsing District Councillor Mr. Chow Yick-hay nominated the School for our Integrative Community

Health Centre’s work in the Kwai Tsing community over the past few years. The CIIF 10th Anniversary

Forum and SCB Award Presentation Ceremony were jointly held on 23 November 2012 at the Hong

Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Dr. Andrew Lam, our Associate Head, represented the School

to receive the award.

The Integrative Community Health Centre in Lai King started offering services in 2004 and had a grand

opening in November 2006. It is PolyU’s first-ever off-campus health centre. During the SARS outbreak

in Hong Kong in 2003, PolyU had sent some of its nursing students to Kwai Tsing district to help

promote health and hygiene to the public. The success of this venture sparked the idea at PolyU’s

School of Nursing and School of Optometry of jointly opening a community health care centre in Lai

King. The Centre promotes holistic health and provides health care to local residents through

community empowerment for positive health management. Nurses from the School of Nursing provide

health checks, pain management, weight management and regular health talks, while staff

Optometrists and student Optometrists from the School of Optometry provide eye examinations

through the Vision Hong Kong project.

The charitable Vision Hong Kong project, which is operated by our School, the optometric profession

and the optical industry, aims to offer vision care to the poor and needy. The dispensing service relies

on generous donations of frames and ophthalmic lenses from the profession and the industry. All the

patients are referred by our partner welfare agencies and community nurses. Over 2,500 patients have

benefitted from this project and the majority of them are elderly.

002

In-focus

In 2005, our School collaborated with Kwai Tsing Safe Community and Healthy City Association and

Princess Margaret Hospital to provide diabetic retinopathy screening to diabetic patients attending 13

general out-patient clinics in Kowloon West Cluster. With the help of the effective online booking

system and the continual support from doctors, nurses and all our staff at the Integrative Community

Health Centre, the screening programme has been running smoothly for many years. To date, we have

provided some 31,800 screening episodes and we have found the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy to

be around 27%. Most of the diabetic patients in the cluster area are also educated about the

importance of undergoing regular eye examinations. The success of the screening in Lai King not only

helps to reduce the risk of sight-threatening diabetic retinopathy in the community, but it also helps to

develop a screening model and prove the

effectiveness of screening by

Optometrists. The Hospital Authority

launched its Risk Assessment and

Management Programme (RAMP) for

diabetic patients in Hong Kong in 2010

and asked Optometrists to be responsible

for retinal screening in it. This is exactly

what we as Optometrists wanted to

achieve through the project in Lai King!

Apart from diabetic retinopathy

screening, the Centre provides primary

eye care to many elderly people,

including those referred by community

centres in Kwai Tsing district, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals and Po Leung Kuk. Our comprehensive eye

examination is proving to be very useful as most of them have not had any type of eye examination

before. The poor vision in the majority of the elderly can be corrected to a considerable extent with

spectacles. This definitely improves their quality of life and reduces their risk of falls — after all,

prevention is better than cure. Public education about proper eye care and common eye diseases is

another vital task of the Centre. Since 2009, we

have given 58 talks at various community

centres, hospitals and schools.

003

We are also extremely

delighted that the “Lai King

Intranet for Elderly Project”

led by Mr Chow Yick-hay won

a 10th Anniversary

Outstanding Project Award

from CIIF! The nurse-led clinic

in Lai King Estate is a brand-new idea in

Hong Kong, and its value is already

evident by the resulting significant

reduction in hospital admission rate of

the elderly from the estate. Our Lai

King clinic is one of the partners of this

project, and we will regularly provide

vision screening and talks for it.

We would like to thank all the parties and our frontline staff — residents, Optometrists, ophthalmic

assistants, customer service officers and all the other team members — for making the Centre a great

success. Without their dedication and hard work, our aim of serving the community would not have

been achieved. At the same time, we must never forget that our community still needs our continued

efforts in promoting eye care.

Winning an award does not mean the end of our work — rather, it is encouragement to us and

everybody else to start other services and projects in the community!

Miss Rita Sum

Senior Optometrist

School of Optometry

004

WHAT’S HAPPENING

OUT THERE?

In-focus

2 Research Students Win Student Travel Fellowships to American Academy of Optometry Annual

Meeting

Miss Wong Yin-zhi, a PhD student supervised by

Dr. Andrew Lam and Prof. Carly Lam, and Mr. Chan

Ka-yin, a PhD student supervised by Prof. Pauline

Cho, were awarded an educational grant funded by

the Vision Care Institute and the Edward I. Goodlaw

Student Travel Fellowship, respectively, to attend

the American Academy of Optometry’s 91st Annual

Meeting on 24-27 October 2012 in Phoenix, USA.

10th Hong Kong Optometric Conference

With the theme “New

Frontiers in Ophthalmic

Dispensing”, the 10th Hong

Kong Optometric Conference,

which is jointly organized by

the Hong Kong Trade

Development Council, The

Hong Kong Optometric

Association and PolyU’s School

of Optometry, was successfully

held on 8 November 2012 at

the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre. Prof. To Chi-ho, Associate Head of the School, and

Mr. Lo Hing-nam, President of The Hong Kong Optometric Association, were invited to deliver the

welcoming remarks, and Dr. CC Luk, Cluster Chief Executive of the Hospital Authority’s Hong Kong

West Cluster, gave the opening address.

The conference attracted more than 600 participants from Hong Kong, the Chinese mainland and

other parts of Asia, Europe and North America. Five distinguished speakers shared their invaluable

insights on ophthalmic dispensing with the audience: Prof. Mo Jalie (UK); Dr. Kee Chea-su, Assistant

Professor of our School; Mr. Timo C. Kratzer (Germany), Prof. Arnold Wilkins (UK); and Dr. Richard

Clompus (USA). The topics ranged from ophthalmic lens design, coloured filters, to electronically

focusing eyewear. A panel discussion on “The Evolution of the Hong Kong Optical Industry” was

moderated by Mr. Chow Tak-fung, FPVC (Hon) 2008, The Professional Validation Council of Hong

Kong Industries, and Managing Director of Easy Power Ltd.; Prof. George Woo, Emeritus Professor

and Visiting Chair Professor of Optometry of the School; and Dr. Victor Woo, a founder of The Hong

Kong Ophthalmic Associates.

005

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT THERE?

Prof. George Woo and Prof. Carly Lam Attend The Third Optometry Education Forum – Establishment of

an Education Plan and Degree System for Optometry in China

Invited by the West China School of Medicine, Sichuan University, Prof. George Woo, Emeritus Professor

and Visiting Chair Professor of Optometry of the School and Prof. Carly Lam, Head of the School

attended the Third Optometry Education Forum – Establishment of an Education Plan and Degree

System for Optometry in China, this was held on 10 November 2012 in Chengdu, China. Prof. Gerald

Lowther, Emeritus Professor and Former Dean of School of Optometry, Indiana University, and

Chairman of Education Committee, World Council of Optometry, was also invited to deliver a

presentation.

This education forum attracted participation from prominent academics from 10 universities and

colleges offering 4-year Optometry programme on the Chinese mainland to gather concerted efforts to

promote an independent Optometry curriculum and discipline, and develop discipline related research

for Optometry undergraduate and postgraduate education in China.

Addressing the forum, Prof. Lam introduced to the audience the history and development of the

Optometry profession, programme curriculum and exchange activities at the School of Optometry of

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. She also aspired to strengthen the collaboration between our

School and the tertiary institutions in China and to foster more exchanges between academics and

students. Prof. Woo described the work and position of the optometrists in Hong Kong and analyzed

the status of the optometrists abroad, in Hong Kong and on the Chinese Mainland. To conclude his

presentation, Prof. Woo

called for contributions

from various institutions

and academics to develop

the Optometry profession

on the Chinese mainland.

006

WHAT’S HAPPENING

AT SCHOOL?

In-focus

18th PolyU Congregation

The conferment sessions of the 18th PolyU Congregation for the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences

were held on campus at the Jockey Club Auditorium from 6-7 November 2012, with the School’s

graduands presented at the first session. This year, the Congregation saluted 4 PhD candidates, 1 MPhil

candidate and 31 undergraduates in Optometry. In addition, 3 of our undergraduates, Miss Lo

Wing-sze, Miss Wong Chun-ki and Mr. Wu Wai-lok, were named on the Dean’s Honours List. We extend

our warmest congratulations to all of our new graduates, including the now Dr. Sam Cheng, Dr. Patrick

Ho, Dr. Gordon Tang and Dr. Christy Yiu, and Ms. Jessie Charm, and we wish them every success in the

future.

Memorandum of Understanding Renewed with Tianjin Eye Hospital

The School renewed its Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tianjin Eye Hospital to strengthen

teaching and research cooperation for another three years. The MoU

was signed by Prof. Tang Xin, President of Tianjin Eye Hospital, and

Prof. Carly Lam, Head of our School, at a ceremony on 19

November 2012 in PolyU’s Optometry Clinic.

007

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SCHOOL?

Prof. Cecilia Li (2nd from left in the 1st row)

Prof. Bernard Gilmartin (3rd from left in the 1st row)

Prof. Dennis Levi (5th from left in the 1st row)

Prof. Thomas Freddo (1st from right in the 1st row)

Departmental Review

By Prof. Carly Lam, Head of

School

The year 2012 was a challenging

and fruitful year for the School.

One great challenge was the

Departmental Review (DR), which

comes around once every six years.

The DR was particularly productive

as we gained valuable positive

comments and suggestions from

the DR panel, which will benefit

the School in future.

In order for both academic and

administrative staff to be well

prepared for the DR, a series of meetings were scheduled from March. One such meeting was a half-day

strategy meeting at our Lai King clinic on 30 April, where we formulated and refined working plans and

preliminary schedules and assigned responsibilities for the preparation of DR documents.

Since those early meetings, the academic staff worked tirelessly in the preparation while the general

office worked diligently to provide administrative support.

The panel members included Prof. Thomas Freddo from the University of Waterloo, Prof. Dennis Levi

from the University of California, Berkeley, Prof. Bernard Gilmartin from Aston University, and Prof.

Cecilia Li-Tsang from PolyU’s Department of Rehabilitation Sciences. Prof. Maurice Yap, Dean of PolyU’s

Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, was the chairman of the panel. They arrived at the School on 27

November, marking the beginning of the exercise.

Several meetings were held on that day between the panel and our academic staff, representatives

from the profession, Prof. Ricky Man as Chairman of the Optometrists Board, representatives from

stakeholder groups, student representatives from current undergraduate and postgraduate

programmes, and representatives from alumni.

The panel reviewed and provided feedback on the School’s strategic plans, teaching and learning,

research, and professional registration. Over two days, the panel toured the campus and the satellite

clinics.

The DR exercise was completed satisfactorily with very positive comments, signifying that the School has

gone from strength to strength,

cementing our reputation as one of

the most robust departments in PolyU

and one of the leading Optometry

schools in the world.

Credit goes to everyone at the School

for all their hard work, commitment

and collegial spirit, and special thanks

and appreciation to the general office

for their timely support throughout

the exercise.

008

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SCHOOL?

In-focus

Plaque Unveiling Ceremony by The Hong Kong Optometric Association

To commemorate The Hong Kong Optometric Association’s continual support to Optometry education

over the past years, a plaque unveiling ceremony took place on 3 December 2012 in PolyU’s Optometry

Clinic.

Plaque Unveiling Ceremony by Mr. Jeffrey Yip

A plaque unveiling ceremony took place on 3 December 2012 in

PolyU’s Optometry Clinic to

mark a donation of

HK$200,000 from Mr. Jeffrey

Yip, Adjunct Professor of the

School, for supporting the

School’s activities.

009

WHAT’S HAPPENING AT SCHOOL?

School Staff Win 16 Medals at PolyU Staff Games 2012

A big turnout of 36 staffers from the School participated

in several athletics and fun events at the 3rd PolyU Staff

Games Day on 9 December 2012. Our staff broke the

record for the 100m Men’s Masters and set new records

for the 1500m Women’s Open and the 4 x 100m

Women’s Relay. They also captured an impressive 16 medals: 2 gold, 6 silver and 6 bronze medals in

individual events; and 1 gold and 1 bronze in the 4 x 100m Women’s Relay and the 4 x 100m Men’s

Relay, respectively.

Our team spirit shone through as we helped our Faculty of Health

and Social Sciences team to win both the Best Team Award and

the Most Supportive Team Award for the second year running.

Congratulations to everyone from the School who took part!

PolyU Long Service Awards

The School’s Dr. Henry Chan (2nd from left), Dr. Andrew Lam (3rd

from left) and Ms. Winnie Hui (4th from left) received Long Service

Awards from PolyU at a presentation ceremony on 18 January 2013.

Congratulations to them!

School Retreat 2013

On 18 January 2013, 54

staff members attended

the annual School

retreat. This year, it was

held at the Aberdeen

Boat Club. Prof. Carly

Lam, Head of the School,

briefed the staff before

they split into their work-related teams for a discussion session. The six teams were: academic

programme and Optometrist teams 1 and 2; general office team; dispensing and ophthalmic assistant

team; customer service team; and technical team. Members within each team exchanged views and

ideas to set their team’s objectives for 2013. After the discussion, the team leaders presented their

teams’ ideas. Dr. Henry Chan, leader of the academic programme and Optometrist team 2, presented

suggestions on a Myopic Control Clinical Centre, increasing student numbers, a replacement cycle for

outdated equipment, manpower shortage, and alumni networking. Dr. Andrew Lam, leader of the

programme & optometrist team 1, talked about enhancing ocular therapeutic training through more

exposure. Mr. Roger Chiu, leader of the dispensing and ophthalmic assistant team, highlighted the

importance of training in governance and service quality assurance. Ms. Linda Liu and Ms. Ann Chan,

leaders of the general office team and the customer service team, respectively, provided attendees with

updates on their teams’ current operations and projects. Mr. Jimmy Pang, leader of the technical team,

set objectives on improving the efficiency of the Optometry Clinic Management System and related

clinical computing resources.

010

In-focus

OUR PEOPLE

Visiting Professors of Nankai University Eye Hospital

Our School’s Prof. George Woo, Emeritus Professor

and Visiting Chair Professor of Optometry, and Prof.

Carly Lam, Head of the School, were appointed as

Visiting Professors of Nankai University Eye Hospital

(a.k.a. Tianjin Eye Hospital) in Tianjin, China. They

received their certificates of appointment from Prof.

Tang Xin, President of Tianjin Eye Hospital, on 19

November 2012.

Honorary and Adjunct Appointments of the School

Honorary Professor

Prof. David Wong

(re-appointment)

(Albert Young Bing Ching Chair Professor in Ophthalmology

Head, Department of Ophthalmology

Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine

The University of Hong Kong)

Adjunct Professors

Prof. Tang Xin

(new appointment)

(President, Tianjin Eye Hospital)

Prof. Tang Xin is President and Chief Physician of Tianjin Eye

Hospital and Director of Tianjin Ophthalmology Research Institute.

He is also Chief Expert of the Cataract Center of Tianjin Eye

Hospital.

Prof. Victor Woo

(re- appointment)

(Private Ophthalmologist)

Prof. Kenneth Lam

(re-appointment)

(Private Optometrist)

Prof. Edmund Chiang

(re-appointment)

(Private Optometrist)

Prof. Patrick Tong

(re-appointment)

(Private Ophthalmologist)

011

OUR PEOPLE

Adjunct Associate Professors

Ms. Rufina Chan

(re-appointment)

(Private Optometrist)

Dr. Desmond Cheng

(re-appointment)

(Private Optometrist)

Mr. Patrick Cheng

(re-appointment)

(Private Optometrist)

Mr. Yeung Sai-man

(re-appointment)

(Solicitor)

New Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry

Mr. Chan Ka-yin, a PhD student under the supervision of Prof.

Pauline Cho, was admitted as a Fellow of the American

Academy of Optometry in October 2012. Congratulations!

Donation to the School

Mr. Tong Chan-ho donated HK$800 to support student development at the School in December

2012.

Visitors to the School

Dr. June Crown

Special Advisor, World Health

Organization

Date: 22 Oct 2012

First row (from left to right):

Prof. George Woo, Emeritus Professor and

Visiting Chair Professor of Optometry, PolyU,

Dr. Amy Chiu, Assistant Director (Health

Administration and Planning), Department of

Health, Dr. June Crown, special adviser to the

World Health Organization, Dr. Leung Pak-yin,

Chief Executive, Hospital Authority of Hong

Kong SAR, Prof. Alex Molasiotis, Head of

School of Nursing, PolyU

Second row (from left to right):

Dr. Kee Chea-su, Assistant Professor, School of Optometry, PolyU, Mr. So Yiu Wah, Society of Hospital Pharmacists of Hong Kong, Dr. Polly

Lau, Department Manager, Physiotherapy Department, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Dr. Sylvia Fung, Chief Manager (Nursing), Head Office,

Hospital Authority, Prof. Cecilia Li, Professor, Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, PolyU, Dr. Maria Law, Hong Kong Sanatorium and

Hospital, Dr. Do Chi-wai, Assistant Professor, School of Optometry, PolyU

012

OUR PEOPLE

In-focus

Visitors to the School

International Academy of Orthokeratology

Date: 29 Oct 2012

Dr. Katrina Schmid

Associate Professor, School of Optometry

and Vision Science, Queensland University of

Technology, Australia

Date: 5 Nov 2012

(From left to right: Dr. Helen Duan, Assistant Clinical Professor,

SUNY College of Optometry, Prof. Carly Lam, Head, School of

Optometry, PolyU, Dr. Cary Herzberg, President, International

Academy of Orthokeratology and President, Orthokeratology

Academy of America, Prof. George Woo, Emeritus Professor and

Visiting Chair Professor of Optometry, PolyU, Mr, Jimmy Tse,

Optometrist, School of Optometry, PolyU)

College of Optometry, Manila Central

University, Philippines

Date: 7 Nov 2012

Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen

University, China

Date: 7 Nov 2012

Dr. Susan Cooper

President-elect, World Council of Optometry

Date: 13 Nov 2012

(From left to right: Prof. Gerald Lowther, Emeritus Professor and Former

Dean, School of Optometry, Indiana University, Prof. Carly Lam, Head, School

of Optometry, PolyU, Dr. Susan Cooper, Mr. Brian Cooper, Prof. George Woo,

Emeritus Professor and Visiting Chair Professor of Optometry, PolyU)

013

OUR PEOPLE

Prof. Brian A. Barsky

Professor of Computer Science, Computer Science

Division, Affiliate Professor of Optometry and Vision

Science, School of Optometry, University of

California, Berkeley, USA

Date: 23 Nov 2012

Dr. Peter Hendicott (5th left)

Head, School of Optometry and Vision

Science, Queensland University of

Technology, Australia

Date: 26 Nov 2012

Prof. Samuel Wu

Professor of Ophthalmology, Camille and Raymond

Hankamer Chair in Ophthalmology, Professor of

Neuroscience, Professor of Molecular Physiology and

Biophysics, Cullen Eye Institute, Baylor College of

Medicine, USA

Date: 26 Nov 2012

Prof. Liu Yizhi (middle)

Director, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen

University, China

Dr. Chen Xiang (1st right)

Head, Academic Affairs Office, Zhongshan

Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, China

Date: 14 Dec 2012

Prof. Ernst Goldschmidt

Head, Danish Institute for Myopia

Research, Denmark

Date: 28 Jan-5 Feb 2013

014

In-focus

OUR RESEARCH

New Genes Controlling Children’s Eyesight Discovered

By Dr. Jeremy Guggenheim, Associate Professor

Over the past 30 years, the number of Hong Kong children developing

myopia (shortsightedness) has risen alarmingly. Currently, more than

80% will have the condition by the time they leave school. Similarly

high rates of myopia are seen in cities in mainland China, Taiwan, Japan

and Singapore.

Spending excessive amounts of time reading and not enough time

outdoors are thought to be important risk factors for myopia. However,

inherited factors are also implicated. To directly investigate the role of

genetics in myopia susceptibility, researchers from 64 universities and

research institutes in 13 different countries and territories teamed up to

form CREAM — the Consortium for Refractive Error and Myopia. The

CREAM investigators, including myself and Prof. Yip Shea ping from

PolyU’s Department of Health Technology and Informatics, succeeded

in identifying 16 new genes involved in myopia development.

The newly identified genes offer an important insight into how

shortsightedness develops, while also confirming its remarkable complexity.

Many of the genes are believed to play a role in the retina, the fragile layer

situated within the eye responsible for detecting light. This fits neatly with

previous work carried out at PolyU’s Centre for Myopia Research, in which

animal studies have shown that retinal signals control myopia development.

One exciting possibility is that the genes discovered by CREAM determine

the strength of these retinal signals: if so, they would be attractive targets

for novel drugs aimed at preventing myopia progression. Other genes

identified by the CREAM team play a role in the sclera, which is the tough

outer coat of the eye (the “white of the eye”). The genes in the sclera may

be important determinants of the eye’s strength and rigidity. Shortsighted eyes tend to be larger than

normal, so these genes may make the eyes of would-be myopes more susceptible to excessive growth

during childhood.

The CREAM team mainly recruited unselected members of the general public as research subjects. This

differs from most previous studies, which recruited individuals or families with extreme levels of the

condition. As a consequence, the genes identified by CREAM are those that contribute most strongly to

the eyesight development of the whole population rather than rarely occurring variations that give rise

to high-degree myopia in isolated families.

This work was published in “Nature Genetics”: Genome-wide

meta-analyses of multiancestry cohorts identify multiple new

susceptibility loci for refractive error and myopia. 2013;45:314-318.

015

OUR RESEARCH

Conference Presentations

Presenter Conference Title of Presentation

Prof. Pauline Cho

Prof. George Woo

Dr. Kee Chea-su

Dr. Lily Chan

Prof. To Chi-ho

2012 Guangzhou International Orthokeratology

Conference (China), 28 October 2012

The 10th Hong Kong Optometric Conference

(Hong Kong), 8 November 2012

The 10th Hong Kong Optometric Conference

(Hong Kong), 8 November 2012

The 8th International Symposium of

Ophthalmology (Hong Kong), 14-16 December

2012

The 11th Meeting of the Association for Ocular

Pharmacology and Therapeutics (Spain), 7-10

February 2013

Options for myopic control in children

The evolution of the Hong Kong optical industry

Implications of current research on astigmatism

The effect of bilberry extract on dry eyes: a pilot

study

Intracellular electrical properties and chloride

transport characteristics of porcine ciliary

epithelial cells

New Papers

Cho P, Boost MV, Daily disposable lenses: The better

alternative. Cont Lens Anterior Eye 2013;36:4-12.

Guggenheim JA, McMahon G, Kemp JP, Akhtar S, St

Pourcain B, Northstone K, Ring SM, Evans DM, Smith GD,

Timpson NJ, Williams C, A genome-wide association study

for corneal curvature identifies the platelet-derived

growth factor receptor alpha gene as a quantitative trait

locus for eye size in white Europeans. Mol Vis

2013;19:243-53.

Hon Y, Lam AK, Corneal Deformation Measurement

Using Scheimpflug Noncontact Tonometry. Optom Vis Sci

2013;90:e1-e8.

Lam AK, Tse JS, Pentacam anterior chamber parameters

in young and middle-aged Chinese. Clin Exp Optom

2013;96:85-91.

Li SY, Fung FK, Fu ZJ, Wong D, Chan HH, Lo AC,

Anti-inflammatory effects of lutein in retinal

ischemic/hypoxic injury: in vivo and in vitro studies. Invest

Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2012;53:5976-84.

Lung JC, Swann PG, Chan HH, Early local functional

changes in the human diabetic retina: a global flash

multifocal electroretinogram study. Graefes Arch Clin Exp

Ophthalmol 2012.

Verhoeven VJ, Hysi PG, Wojciechowski R, Fan Q,

Guggenheim JA, Hohn R, Macgregor S, Hewitt AW, Nag

A, Cheng CY, Yonova-Doing E, Zhou X, Ikram MK,

Buitendijk GH, McMahon G, Kemp JP, Pourcain BS,

Simpson CL, Makela KM, Lehtimaki T, Kahonen M,

Paterson AD, Hosseini SM, Wong HS, Xu L, Jonas JB,

Parssinen O, Wedenoja J, Yip SP et al. Genome-wide

meta-analyses of multiancestry cohorts identify multiple

new susceptibility loci for refractive error and myopia. Nat

Genet 2013;45:314-318.

Woo GC, Woo SY, The need for full scope primary eye

care in every country. Clin Exp Optom 2013;96:1-3.

Zhu MM, Yap M, Ho DW, Fung WY, Ng PW, Gu YS, Yip

SP, Investigating the relationship between UMODL1 gene

polymorphisms and high myopia: a case-control study in

Chinese. BMC Med Genet 2012;13:64.

Upcoming Conferences / Seminars / Workshops

Conferences

Details

The 19th Asia Pacific Optometric Congress

(Website: http://www.asiapacificoptometry.org/19thapoc.html)

The 11th Hong Kong Optometric Conference

Date & Venue

2-4 October 2013

63 Convention Centre, Korea

November 2013 (Date to be confirmed)

Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre,

Hong Kong

School

The Third Primary Eye Care Conference

Speaker: Professor Darren Shickle

Head of the Academic Unit of Public Health Institute of

Health Sciences, University of Leeds, UK

4-5 December 2013

Chiang Chen Studio Theatre,

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

24 April 2013

Room N002, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University,

Hong Kong

Seminars Speaker: Ms Gigi Yee

25 June 2013

Resident Optometrist, School of Optometry,

Room EF311, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University,

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

Hong Kong

016

In-focus

STUDENTS CORNER

Inbound Exchange Student

22 Oct-7 Dec 2012

University of Waterloo, Canada

From left to right: Miss Li Yin Kwan Lucia,

Miss Law Yuen Wai Amy and Mr. Michael Eric Pedersen

Students Actively Participate in Service-Learning Vision

Screening Projects

In alignment with PolyU’s motto “To learn and to apply, for

the benefit of mankind”, our students have been actively

engaging themselves in vision screening projects in a view to

connecting their learning experiences with academic

curriculum. Over the past year, we have served more than

2,600 people ranging from kindergarten to secondary school

students, senior citizens, new-immigrants, low-income families

and people with physical disabilities. Through these projects, students can apply what they have

learned in the classroom to enrich their clinical experience. In effect, it helps raise students’

awareness of health care issues relating to the profession and reflect on the roles and social

responsibilities of optometrists in the community.

More importantly, we hope to promote public awareness about eye health. The provision of

vision screening are to identify people who may be having high risk in developing eye

disorders/diseases and refer them in a timely manner for future evaluation, if appropriate. Many

ocular conditions including amblyopia and strabismus can be treated successfully with corrective

lenses and/or vision therapy when discovered early. However, many of the ocular

disorders/diseases such as glaucoma and

diabetic retinopathy can pose significant

risks of permanent vision loss if left

untreated.

With the unfailing support and enthusiastic

participation from our students and staff

members, our students won 2 awards and 2

certificates of excellence at the PolyU

Outstanding Service-Learning Project Award

2011-12. An award presentation ceremony

was held on 21 February 2013 on PolyU

campus to recognize these exemplary

projects.

017

STUDENTS CORNER

PROJECT NAME

AWARD(S)

GROUP MEMBERS

ADVISOR

Opening your eye,

Beautify your mind

( 一視同仁 )

Hang Seng Bank Best

Sustainable Service

Project Award

(course-required project)

Silver Award, PolyU

Outstanding

Service-Learning Project

Award

(course-required project)

• Lo Wing Jing

• Ma Sheung Man

• Lee Ka Yin

• Wong Ka Man

• Shi Lei

Dr. Do Chi-wai

The Joint Screening of

School of Optometry and

Zhongshan Ophthalmic

Centre

( 香港理工大學眼科視光學

院與中山眼科中心合作眼

睛篩查服務 )

Certificate of Excellence

(course-required project)

• Chu Ching Yi

• Feng Jia

• Ip Jasmine Win-Lam

• Li Ka Man

• Shen Jiachang

• Yau Hoi Yin

Dr. Do Chi-wai

2012 Vision Screening for

Students, Turpan,

Xinjiang

(2012 新彊驗眼之旅 )

Certificate of Excellence

(self-initiated project)

• Au Yan Yee, Sandy

• Chan Wan Yin, Tiffany

• Chan Wing Yan, Becky

• Chan Wing Yan, Winnie

• Cheng Man Yee, Sala

• Mok Tsz Ching

• Ho Yat Ming

• Li Ka Man

• Yau Hoi Yin

Dr. Henry Chan

018

In-focus

OPTOMETRY ALUMNI

Words from students of “Opening your eye, beautify your mind” Project

Shi Lei (1st from left): I have learnt

a lot from this project. What I

treasured most is I can apply

professional knowledge gained in

classes to serve people in need and

strengthen my communication and

organizational skills.

Lo Wing Jing (3rd from left): “Opening your eye,

beautify your mind” is the most meaningful service I

have ever organized. From planning, organization and

evaluation, I enjoyed every moment with my

teammates. In the future, I hope to organize similar eye

screening service and contribute more to the

community.

Lee Ka Yin (2nd from

left): Through this

project, I understand

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