Dr Kirsten Hamilton-Maxwell

Cyhoeddiad

• Date
• Type

Ymchwil

Scholarship of education

High-quality education is critical to the development of future optometrists. Through original research and educational scholarship, I strive to develop and test improvements to support our students, primary in the following two areas:

Assessment & feedback

Assessment & feedback is at the heart of education programme, allowing staff and students to monitor and improve performance. My interests in this area are broad and recent examples include:

• Student perceptions of clinical assessment and feedback
• Student-led assessment design
• Electronic assessment & feedback

Technology-enhanced education

Technology is a rich and flexible medium that can be used in many ways to support learning. Again, I have many interests, and recent examples of my work include:

• Lecture capture (using Panopto) and podcasting
• "Gamification" of learning

Understanding intraocular pressure (eye pressure)

According to the World Health Organisation, glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss worldwide.  The pressure within the eye is the most important risk factor development and progression of glaucoma; reducing eye pressure, either by eye drops or by surgery, is the only recommended treatment at the current time.  Even if your eyes are completely healthy, your eye pressure will not be a fixed number. It can fluctuate for a large number of reasons including the time of day, if you hold your breath, exercise, or even what you had to eat and drink.   It is therefore very important that researchers, such as myself, are fully able to understand how and why eye pressure varies so that your optometrist or ophthalmologist can measure and interpret it confidently.  Examples of my research projects in this area include:

• Eye pressure is usually highest when you first wake up in the morning.
• Eye pressure can fall if you have been for a short walk, such as if you walked from the nearest bus stop, on your way to your sight test.

Improving tonometry, the measurement of intraocular pressure

Once we have sorted out what the normal eye pressure should be, we need an accurate way of measuring it.   Eye pressure is usually measured by an instrument called a tonometer and the process is called tonometry.   The problem with trying to measure the eye pressure is that we cannot measure it directly because it exists inside the eye, but instead need to rely on tonometers that assess it indirectly by measuring the force needed to flatten a small area of the cornea (the clear dome at the front of our eye).   This means that the accuracy of tonometry depends on the properties of the cornea through which it is measured.   Work is underway to identify the relevant factors and to determine what this means for eye pressure measurement, including:

• A small amount of clinically invisible corneal swelling, such as the kind that occurs while we are asleep, causes tonometers to overestimate the eye pressure.
• Tonometers are not only sensitive to the thickness of the cornea in its centre, but also in the surrounding areas.
• Many types of tonometer are sensitive to corneal properties including Goldmann applanation tonometry (the blue light test) and non-contact tonometry (the air puff test).   In fact, even a new type of tonometer known as the Pascal Dynamic Contour Tonometer is not immune to this problem.
• Corneal biomechanical properties, although completely invisible to most clinical instruments, can cause tonometers to read incorrectly.

Corneal size, shape and its other properties

Given that the cornea has such a large influence on eye pressure measurement (tonometry), another area of my work includes defining and quantifying corneal characteristics, including biomechanics and thickness, in health and disease.   Most recently, we reported that a single drop of anaesthetic (commonly used to help your optometrist or ophthalmologist measure the thickness of your cornea) was enough to cause a temporary increase in corneal thickness.

Funding

• Cardiff Centre for Education Innovation Seed-corn grant (2016)
• Cardiff University Research Opportunities Programme (2013)
• Nuffield Foundation Vacation Studentship (2007)
• OVRF-Maki Shiobara Scholarship (2006)
• Australian Postgraduate Award (2003)

Addysgu

Rolau a chyfrifoldebau addysgu

Mae fy rolau a'm cyfrifoldebau addysgu presennol ym Mhrifysgol Caerdydd fel a ganlyn:

Arweinydd Rhaglen Blwyddyn 0

Rwy'n gyfrifol am reoli a goruchwylio myfyrwyr a modiwlau ym Mlwyddyn 0, a elwir fel arall yn flwyddyn ragarweiniol, y rhaglenni israddedig optometreg.

Arweinydd Modiwl a Phrac

Fel Arweinydd Modiwl ar gyfer Opometreg Ymchwiliol OP0205, Technegau Clinigol Sylfaenol OP1201 a Chyflwyniad OP4001 i Ymarfer Optometrig Clinigol, fy rôl i yw goruchwylio sawl agwedd ar y modiwlau hyn gan gynnwys arloesi a datblygu, amserlennu, addysgu, asesu ac adborth, yn ogystal â gweinyddu modiwlau.

Darlithydd

Fel Darlithydd Optometreg Ymchwiliol OP0205, OP4001 Cyflwyniad i Ymarfer Optometrig Clinigol, Technegau Clinigol Sylfaenol OP1201, Ymarfer Opometrig Clinigol OP4101 a Thechnegau Ymchwiliol OP2203 (Technegau Diagnostig), fy rôl i yw paratoi, trefnu a chyflwyno darlithoedd ac arwain sesiynau ymarferol sy'n arfogi myfyrwyr â sgiliau clinigol craidd a gwybodaeth y bydd eu hangen arnynt fel optometrydd. Fy nghyfrifoldeb i hefyd yw dylunio, arwain, marcio a darparu adborth ar gyfer yr holl waith cwrs ar gyfer y modiwlau hyn.

Goruchwyliwr Prosiect Ymchwil

Rwy'n goruchwylio nifer o brosiectau ymchwil myfyrwyr bob blwyddyn ar gyfer modiwlau israddedig ac ôl-raddedig a addysgir, lle mae'n ofynnol i fyfyrwyr gynnal prosiect ymarferol neu adolygiad llenyddiaeth manwl dros 6-9 mis. Mae'r pynciau rwy'n eu cynnig yn eithaf amrywiol ond yn tueddu i droi o gwmpas fy mhrif feysydd ymchwil (pwysau llygaid, biometreg ocwlar ac addysg) a'r themâu craidd sy'n codi yn y modiwlau rwy'n eu haddysgu. Mae croeso hefyd i fyfyrwyr prosiect MSc sydd wedi cofrestru ar raglen Prifysgol Caerdydd i awgrymu eu pynciau eu hunain yn y meysydd hyn.

Apwyntiadau allanol

Rwy'n Arholwr Allanol ar gyfer y rhaglen BSc Optometreg ym Mhrifysgol Manceinion.

Bywgraffiad

Educational and qualifications

• 2007: PhD in Optometry, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
• 1998: Bachelor of Optometry, First Class Honours and the University Medal, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

Career overview

• 2017-present: Senior Lecturer, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, UK
• 2007-2017: Lecturer, School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, UK
• 2003-6: Postgraduate student and demonstrator, School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.
• 1998-2002: Optometrist

Anrhydeddau a dyfarniadau

• The UNSW University Medal for Optometry. (1998)
• The SOLA Optical Australia Pty. Ltd. Prize for the best overall performance in OPTM4301 Visual Science IV, The Theo Kannis Prize for Clinical Optometry for the best overall performance in Clinical Optometry throughout the Bachelor of Optometry course, The Hoya Lens Australia Pty Limited Prize for the best overall performance in Ocular and Visual Science throughout the Bachelor of Optometry degree course, The Australian Optometric Association Prize for outstanding academic performance in the Bachelor of Optometry course and The Head of School$acirc; s prize for outstanding overall performance in the Bachelor of Optometry course. (1997)
• The Bausch and Lomb Prize for the best performance in Year 3 of the Bachelor of Optometry course, The Martin Wells Pty Limited Prize for the best performance in OPTM2208 Diagnosis of Ocular Disease (Year 2) and OPTM3208 Diagnosis and Management of Ocular Disease (Year 3) and The Essilor Australia Pty Limited Prize for the best performance in OPTM3301 Visual Science III and OPTM3309 Ocular Science III. (1996)
  The Safilo Australia Prize for the best performance in OPTM2302 Clinical Optometry II, The Martin Wells Pty Limited Prize for the best performance in OPTM2301 Ocular and Visual Science II, The Optical Products Ltd Prize for the best performance in OPTM2303 Spectacle Lens and Optical Systems and The School of Physiology and Pharmacology Staff Prize for Physiology 1 or Principles of Physiology for the best performance in PHPH2112 Physiology 1 or PHPH2122 Principles of Physiology. (1995)
• The Optometrists Association of NSW Prize for the best performance in OPTM1202 Clinical Optometry I. (1994)

Aelodaethau proffesiynol

• STEMnet ambassador

Safleoedd academaidd blaenorol

• Lecturer, Cardiff University, 2007-current
• Part-time Research Assistant, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2006
• Part-time Clinical Supervisor, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2003-2006

Pwyllgorau ac adolygu

Leadership roles

• 2015-present, Deputy Director of Learning & Teaching, OPTOM
• 2014-present, Assessment & Feedback Lead, OPTOM
• 2015-2016, Equality & Diversity/Athena Swan Committee, Deputy Chair, OPTOM
• 2013-2014, School Research Audit Ethics Committee, Deputy Chair, OPTOM

School, College and University committees, panels and working groups

Education

• 2017, General Optical Council reaccreditation group, OPTOM
• 2015-present
  • Examinations Committee, Member, OPTOM
  • Clinical Placements Working Group, OPTOM
  • Learning & Teaching Committee, Member, OPTOM
• 2016, “Cardiff Essentials” Online Assessment Information Task & Finish Group, University
• 2015-2016, OSCE group, Biomedical & Life Sciences
• 2014-2016, AHFEA mentor
• 2013-2016, Student Survey Coordinator, OPTOM
• 2012-2013 and 2015-2016, Student/Staff Panel, Member, OPTOM

Policy and strategy

• 2016, Workload Model Implementation Group, University
• 2010-2011
  • Athena Swan Steering Group, Member, OPTOM
  • Staff Development and Equality & Diversity Committee, Member, OPTOM
• 2007-2009, Strategy and Resources Committee, Member, OPTOM
• 2007
  • PCUTL HEA Accreditation Panel, Member, University
  • PCUTL General Panel, University

Administration

• 2008-2010, Student equipment kit coordinator, OPTOM

External

• 2015-present, Academic contact for the Westbourne School “Research in Action” project
• 2013-present, STEMnet ambassador

Meysydd goruchwyliaeth

Mae gen i ddiddordeb mewn goruchwylio myfyrwyr MSc mewn meysydd fel:

• Biomecaneg Corneal
• Biometreg Ocwlar
• Pwysau intraocwlar
• Glawcoma
• Asesu ac adborth
• Technoleg dysgu ac addysgu