BCLA webinar to explore the eye’s potential as a window to systemic health

Eye care professionals will be invited to explore the emerging field of anterior oculomics and how structures routinely examined in everyday practice could provide valuable insights into systemic health during an upcoming BCLA webinar.

‘Oculomics: The eye as a window to health’ will take place from 6.30pm on Tuesday, 3 November, via Zoom.

The webinar will be led by Dr Emily Patterson and Dr Alistair Bounds, who will examine the science behind anterior oculomics and explore how developments in optical instrumentation could help bring the assessment of systemic health into routine and community eye care.

The session will focus on four anterior eye structures already familiar to clinicians – the tear film, cornea, aqueous humour and lens – and consider the evidence linking changes within these structures to systemic conditions including diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and Wilson’s disease.

Dr Patterson will explore the underlying biology and how anterior eye structures can reflect systemic processes, including emerging research into tear biomarkers and established clinical signs such as those associated with Wilson’s disease.

Dr Bounds will then look at how advances in optical measurement could translate this science into practical clinical applications, from established corneal pachymetry to emerging technologies designed to identify markers associated with chronic and systemic disease.

BCLA Chief Executive Brad Parkes said: “The idea that the eye could provide insights into a patient’s wider health is both fascinating and potentially hugely important for the future of eye care.

“Optometrists and contact lens practitioners are already examining many of the structures that could provide these insights, so the development of accessible, practical measurement technologies could open up new opportunities for earlier recognition and referral.

“This webinar will provide an opportunity to understand where the evidence currently stands, what is moving towards clinical application and how oculomics could develop in the years ahead. It is exactly the kind of emerging area that we want to bring to the attention of the BCLA community.”

Attendees will gain an understanding of which anterior eye signs and biomarkers currently have an evidence base and how existing and emerging optical instruments could potentially bring oculomics into routine and community practice.

The session will also consider practical, low-burden screening approaches that could be incorporated into optometric and contact lens practice, potentially supporting earlier referral and enabling more informed conversations between clinicians and patients.

Dr Emily Patterson is a Senior Vision Scientist at Occuity, with expertise in retinal imaging and the emerging field of oculomics. Following a highly competitive UKRI Future Leaders Fellowship in 2024, she leads research within Occuity’s Mynamics programme investigating the drivers of myopia progression in children. She has published research on oculomics and retinal imaging in peer-reviewed journals, including Ophthalmology and Therapy, and regularly presents at international conferences.

Dr Alistair Bounds is Lead Scientist at Occuity. He completed his PhD in atomic and optical physics at Durham University before moving into healthcare photonics and biomedical imaging. He joined Occuity as a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow in 2022, where he leads a long-term programme focused on ocular imaging for the assessment of chronic and systemic disease.

The webinar is open to all eye care professionals and will provide one CPD point.

The session is the first chargeable BCLA webinar. It is free for BCLA members, while non-members can attend for a fee or choose to join BCLA and access the webinar as part of their membership, alongside the wider benefits of membership.

Registration is now open at www.bcla.org.uk.