Professor Isabelle Jalbert

About me:

My research focuses on evidence-based eye care, eye care quality and health education. This research used both qualitative and quantitative methods to measure quality of eye care delivery, understanding of, attitude towards, and competence in evidence-based practice. Our multi-disciplinary and multi-institutional group has developed and adapted resources to support the use of evidence-based practice by optometry students and practitioners in Australia and New Zealand and across the world (www.eboptometry.com).

A parallel research focus has been on understanding the ocular surface in the healthy and diseased eye. This research uses a mix of the latest clinical and laboratory based techniques to investigate links between the environment and the ocular surface. We have applied these techniques to characterise the ocular surface during contact lens wear, in dry eye disease including meibomian gland dysfunction and ocular allergy.

This work has been funded through government (OLT), external (Diabetes Australia, MD Foundation), internal (UNSW) and industry funding and has supported 16 PhD students.

Education

MPH (UNSW, 2010)

Graduate Certificate in Ocular Therapeutics (UNSW, 2010)

PhD in Optometry (UNSW, 2004)

OD (University of Montreal, 1989)

RESEARCH

My Research Goals

Enhance the quality of eye care delivery nationally and internationally

Measure and promote evidence-based eye care with a focus on optometry

Understanding the ocular surface and factors that promote (e.g. diet) and adversely impact (e.g. lens wear, environment, aging) its health and homeostasis

Research in Detail

My group currently hosts eight graduate students, working on projects ranging from:

Appropriateness of eye care delivery

Addressing barriers to glaucoma and diabetic eye disease care

Neuroimmunology in ocular allergy

Environmental pollution and the ocular surface

Continuing Education in Optometry

Role of blinking in dry eye diagnosis and management

Impact of smartphone viewing on ocular surface

Current Student Projects (PhD, MSc and Honours)

Improving the appropriateness of glaucoma eye care delivery in Australia

Improving the appropriateness of diabetes eye care delivery in Australia

Myopia management strategies and their impact on the anterior eye

Evaluating Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Eye Care Practitioners and People with eye diseases and their carers

The role of dendritic cells in ocular allergy

Ocular surface and blinking in children

TEACHING & OUTREACH

Courses I teach

OPTM6413: Anterior Eye Therapeutics (https://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/postgraduate/courses/2022/OPTM6413)

Professional affiliations and service positions

Deputy President, Optometry Council of New South Wales (2021-2024)

Member of Board of Directors and Chair of the Examination Committee of the Optometry Council of Australian and New Zealand (OCANZ) (2015-current)

Deputy Head of School at the School of Optometry and Vision Science (2011-2019)

Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (1999-current)

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

National Australian Award for University Teaching Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning, 2021

Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence, 2020

June Griffith Fellow, UNSW Faculty of Science, 2015

Garland W Clay Award, American Academy of Optometry, 2012

                Dallos Award, British Contact Lens Association, 2011

                Ian Constable Prize, 2002

                Bourse d’Excellence, University of Montreal, 1985

Research Groups

• Ocular Surface Research (Inc. Dry Eye and Contact Lenses)
• Myopia Research Group

Research Topics

• Dry eye: contact lens wear, innervation and symptoms, sex hormones
• Ocular surface disease: allergy, biomarkers, diabetes, keratoconus, obesity and nutrition
• Ocular therapeutics and drug delivery
• Innovative models of eyecare delivery
• Quality of eye care, evidence-based practice, health systems research