Funding announced for a trio of nystagmus projects

Fight for Sight and The Nystagmus Network have confirmed funding for three new research projects.

Announcing the new studies during The Nystagmus Network Conference last week, the organisations confirmed the allocation of £30,000 in funding for research designed to bring benefits to children and adults with nystagmus.

In one of the projects, University of Southampton’s James Self (pictured) will be developing a new clinical test using an iPad app in order to measure a patient’s ability to identify faces in a crowd. The aim of the app is to accurately and effectively diagnose patients and ensure they are offered the most appropriate support for their nystagmus.

Cardiff University’s Dr Matt Dunn will use the funding he has been allocated to explore an improved diagnostic technique for nystagmus in children. Dr Dunn will study how a new technique could be used to test sight while the eye is moving. It is believed that this could improve the earlier diagnosis of nystagmus.

Through funding by the organisations, Dr Mervyn Thomas, from University of Leicester, will investigate how nystagmus affects the clarity of vision of children with the condition.

Speaking about the awards, director of research, policy and innovation at Fight for Sight, Dr Neil Ebenezer, highlighted: “Nystagmus is a condition which affects an estimated one in every 500 children in the UK, so we hope that funding these three research projects will directly benefit patients living with nystagmus.”

President and founder of The Nystagmus Network, Vivien Jones, added: “We are absolutely delighted to be making these awards to research centres in the UK. All of these projects fit our test of improving quality of life and we are very pleased to be able to support them.”