Biomedical engineering PhD student Noel Ziebarth, was recently awarded a Bausch & Lomb Annual Student Innovation Award. This award recognizes innovative research work and its promising utility in the area of vision science and eye health.
Noel received the award for her innovative research on the origin of presbyopia, the loss of the ability to see at near distances as we grow older, which is part of the Vision CRC Dynamic Vision project. Presbyopia is caused by changes in the properties of the crystalline lens of the human eye as we age, but the exact causes are unknown. Noel’s research focuses on understanding the role played by the mechanical properties of the crystalline lens. She constructed an Atomic Force Microscope to measure the elasticity of the crystalline lens and their changes with age. Atomic Force Microscopy is an advanced microscopy technique that can be used to measure mechanical properties of cells and tissues at the nanoscale.
Noel carries out her research at Vision CRC partner, the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Medical School, under the supervision of Dr. Jean-Marie Parel, from the Department of Ophthalmology and Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Dr. Fabrice Manns, from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, and Dr. Vincent Moy, from the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. Her research will be vital in the development of new strategies to correct presbyopia.
Noel’s research was funded in part by a prestigious National Science Foundation graduate fellowship award. Her project is currently supported by the National Eye Institute, the Australian Federal Government CRC Scheme through the Vision CRC, the Florida Lion’s Eye Bank and the Scientific Advisory Committee of the University of Miami.
