The Mynamic Project
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The eye: it's an amazing thing. Connected to the brain by the optic nerve, it provides crucial information about the world around us. The value of sight can not be overstated.
The goal of this project is to find out more about this incredible piece of biological engineering. We want to study how our eyes grow, in order to improve the way we spot, treat, and track myopia. We will be using different techniques, such as measuring how well people see, taking detailed measurements and pictures of the inside of the eye, and studying our genes, to understand why myopia happens and how it progresses.
What is myopia?
Myopia is the term that scientists and eyecare professionals use to describe short-sightedness – when distant objects look blurry.
Why is myopia a problem?
​The first thing you might think of when we talk about myopia is the hassle of buying and wearing glasses or contact lenses. But myopia is much more serious than that. In most cases, myopia is caused by the eye growing too long, and this stretching can damage the delicate structures in the back of the eye. Sometimes, this can even lead to blindness. (Source).
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With cases of myopia tripling over the last 30 years, around one in three children now have myopia (Source), demonstrating how urgent the problem is.
Where does Mynamics come in?
We are using the word “mynamics” to describe the dynamic relationship between the eye, vision, and the environment. There are lots of factors that affect if/when myopia first develops and how severe it becomes. These factors range from genetics to time spent outdoors, even to sleep. A full understanding of these factors are essential for spotting myopia early, treating it, and tracking its changes.