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Research

Myopia-controlling contact lenses are now widely used in children and adolescents. However, contact lens wear is a primary risk factor of corneal inflammatory and infiltrative events, including microbial keratitis, especially in young adult lens wearers. Understanding the immune response of the cornea during contact lens wear is, therefore, crucial to improve the safety of contact lens wear. The corneal immune response can be studied by examining the presence of antigen-presenting cells, which are key sentinels of immunity. Confocal microscopy allows these cells to be identified morphologicallyÌýin vivoÌýsince they represent as cells with dendrites and are referred to as corneal epithelial dendritic cells (CEDC).ÌýDensity and morphology of CEDC are known to alter in corneal inflammation and/or infection. To date, CEDC density during contact lens wear has only been examined in the adult population but has not been reported in children and adolescents. It is necessary to compare the CEDC characteristics, including density, its distribution and morphology on the ocular surface (central, peripheral and limbal cornea) before and after the initiation of the sub-clinical inflammatory response induced by contact lens wear and if they are influenced by age in either contact lens wearers or non-wearers. Inflammatory mediators including cytokines and chemokines are known to be involved in immune response and have also shown to be associated with contact lens-related clinical or subclinical inflammatory response. However, the relationship between tear inflammatory mediators and the CEDC alterations during contact lens wear and different age groups has not been previously investigated.ÌýGiven the interconnection between the nervous and immune systems relationship of CEDC with corneal nerve density also need to be examined. Thus, this project aims to compare the ocular surface immune response to contact lens wear across different age groups. Changes in CEDC density, morphology and distribution using in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) as well as their relationships with corneal nerves and tear inflammatory mediators will be assessed. This study will not only provide fundamental information on the ocular immune response but will provide insights into methods of improving the safety of contact lens related myopia control treatment.

Biography

Rabia Mobeen received her M.Phil. in Optometry degree in 2016 and BS Optometry in 2010 both with distinctions from College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences, K.E.M.U Lahore, which is one of the renowned institutes of Optometry in Pakistan. After completion of her bachelor’s degree, she was appointed as a Faculty Fellow in the same institute. She has a vast experience as a clinician at Mayo Hospital, Lahore and teaching of almost 8 years at both graduate and postgraduate level in KEMU, Pakistan. As a researcher, she has appeared in numerous publications in peer-reviewed journals. She is currently working on her Ph.D. project at UNSW under supervision of Prof Fiona Stapleton, A/Prof Blanka Golebiowski and Dr. Cecilia Chao for which she has been awarded two scholarships. She has been the recipient of many awards during the course of her Ph.D.

Education

Ph.D. in Optometry at University of New South Wales, Australia (current)

M.Phil. in Optometry at King Edward Medical University, Pakistan (08/16)

BOptom in Optometry at King Edward Medical University, Pakistan (02/10)

Bachelors of Arts, Punjab University, Pakistan (08/11)