Vision Impairment

The Proactive Ophthalmic Examination Cohort of Older Adults is a prospective cohort study recruiting community-dwelling older adults aged 65 years or older. Through comprehensive assessment of demographic profiles, medical histories, and ocular structural and functional parameters, alongside systematic collection of ophthalmic and systemic clinical data and biological specimens, we will establish a multidimensional, high-quality ocular health database encompassing demographic characteristics, socioeconomic factors, lifestyle variables, ocular disease risk factors, subjective ocular symptoms, objective examination findings, and biospecimens. The study will investigate the onset and progression patterns of ocular diseases, associated risk factors, and mechanisms of ocular aging in older populations, while simultaneously providing normal-controlled clinical and genomic data for other clinical studies on eye diseases. Furthermore, leveraging algorithmic innovation and artificial intelligence technologies, we will develop a personalized risk prediction and monitoring platform for age-related eye diseases, enhancing early screening and diagnostic capabilities and advancing precision medicine for ocular health in older adults.

Providing Access to the Visual Environment is a pediatric low vision grant which has the ability to provide comprehensive, interdisciplinary low vision rehabilitation services to every child in Tennessee with a vision impairment. Children, ages 3-21, with best-corrected vision of 20/50 or worse in the better seeing eye are prescribed optical devices to improve their visual functioning and trained to use the devices.