Eleanor Yang

Research

Glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss and is predicted to affect approximately 400,000 Australians by 2025. Approximately 50% of the cases are undiagnosed.

I am currently studying the epidemiology of glaucoma in Australia and I am collecting national dataset with the Australian Eye and Ear Health Survey (AEEHS), which is a large population health survey. The data collection team will visit 30 sites to collect various eye, ear and health data.

As the Australian population is increasingly ageing and with changes in migration patterns, it would be helpful to have a nationally representative study, to provide better understanding and to allow for service allocation.

A few large-scale eye studies were conducted in the 1990s. By including newer technology such as the OCT, more diseases may be detected. Therefore, it is likely that the prevalence of glaucoma may be higher.

Furthermore, considering the recent COVID-19 restrictions, the undiagnosed rate may be higher.

My research will also investigate cognitive function using MoCA to find associations with glaucoma.

Education

University of New South Wales – PhD Candidate

The University of Sydney – Master of Public Health (High Distinction)

University of New South Wales – Graduate Certificate of Ocular Therapeutics

University of New South Wales - Bachelor of Optometry

Biography

Eleanor is an optometrist and currently a PhD candidate at UNSW. Her research involves in investigating the epidemiology of glaucoma in Australia.

She has worked in Australia across metropolitan and regional areas. Eleanor has mentored many optometry students and new graduates. She has also provided education seminars on behalf of the contact lens industry.