Md Abdullah Aziz

Research Title: Development of contact lenses that can deliver effective doses of atropine to the eyes to control the development of myopia.          

Supervisor: Professor Mark Willcox

Co-supervisors: Scientia Professor Fiona Stapleton, Associate Professor Kishor Mazumder, Adjunct Associate Professor Alex Hui        

Research Abstract

It is forecast that almost half of the world’s population will have myopia (shortsightedness) by 2050. High degrees of myopia may lead to blindness. Myopia can be corrected using glasses or contact lenses. However, preventing myopia has been proposed to occur by using contact lenses (or glasses) that focus the image correctly in the center of the retina but move the focus forward of the peripheral retina. This is believed to reduce the push for the eye to elongate. Another mechanism of prevention of myopia is to apply low doses of atropine (or similar antimuscarinic agents) to children’s eyes. Atropine may work through local retinal/scleral signaling or via a cycloplegic (paralysis of the ciliary muscle of the eye, resulting in a loss of accommodation – ability to focus) effect.

Recent reports have shown that contact lenses designed to prevent the growth of the eye can reduce the progression of myopia by approximately 40-50%. In other words, overall a group of children wearing the antimyopia contact lenses had on average 40-50% less refractive change than a control group of children wearing lenses that simply correct the degree of myopia. In controlled clinical trials, low dose (0.025%) atropine can also slow the progression of myopia by 30-40%. What has not been attempted to date is the use of both contact lenses and atropine to control myopia. One hypothesis is that the combination of antimyopia contact lenses and atropine will produce a greater antimyopia effect – i.e. result in >50% less refractive change in people wearing these combination lenses.

My project will use antimyopia-designed contact lenses to deliver atropine. The contact lens will deliver atropine to the eye by controlled and sustained release. Materials will be developed that facilitate the uptake and release of atropine. Laboratory studies measuring release kinetics will be followed by applying the drug-releasing lenses onto animals’ eyes and monitoring safety. I will compare contact lenses simply soaked in atropine to contact lenses containing colloidal nanoparticles, having molecular imprinting or surface multi-layering (using a variety of polymers and plasma treatments) to control atropine’s release in laboratory studies.

Biography

I have multidisciplinary research experience, but my passion is in the domains of material design and development of biomaterials. After graduating in Pharmaceutical Science, I am going to focus my doctoral research on the controlled and sustained delivery of antimyopia drugs to the eyes from contact lenses as well as the pre-clinical laboratory and animal testing of these contact lenses to determine their safety. 

Education

PhD, School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney (2020–current)   

M.S. in Pharmaceutical Science, Department of Pharmacy, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh (2011)

Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours), Department of Pharmacy, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh (2007 – 2010)

Awards

Scientia PhD Scholarship, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia (2020–2024)

Merit Scholarship of Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh (2007-2011)

Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Society Scholarship (2009)

Affilliations and Memberships

Member, Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia (August 01, 2022 – Present)

Member, International Myopia Institute (August 22, 2022 – Present)

Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh (January 6, 2018–Present)

Lecturer, Department of Pharmacy, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh (May 18, 2015–January 5, 2018)

Lecturer, Department of Pharmacy, Stamford University Bangladesh (January 11, 2014–May 17, 2015)

Lecturer, Department of Pharmacy, Atish Dipankar University of Science & Technology, Bangladesh (April 13, 2013–January 10, 2014).

Research Assistant, Department of Pharmacy, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh (January 1, 2007–April 12, 2013).

Member Secretary, Ethical Review Committee (for ethical clearance of research proposal involving human and/or animals), Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Bangladesh (February 06, 2017–October 06, 2020).

Vice President, Bangladesh Pharmacy Students’ Association, Jahangirnagar University (2009)

Registered Pharmacist (Pharmacist Unique Registration Number: A-15431) of Pharmacy Council Bangladesh (2019-Present)