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Dr Alison Binns

Reader in Optometry & Visual Science

School of Health & Medical Sciences Department of Optometry and Visual Science

Contact details

About

Overview

Alison became a lecturer in the Division of Optometry and Visual Science at City University London in July 2013. Her specialism is the early detection and treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration. Alison gained a degree in Optometry and Vision Sciences at Cardiff University in 1998.

After passing Professional Qualifying Examinations, and working for several years as an Optometrist, she returned to Cardiff University to obtain a PhD investigating the electrophysiological characteristics of early age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and continued to work in the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences from 2004-2013.

For the past 13 years, Alison has been carrying out research into the most sensitive clinical tools for the diagnosis and monitoring of AMD and, more recently, into treatments for early AMD. In July 2013, Alison became a lecturer in the Division of Optometry and Visual Science in City University London, where she continues to carry out both research and teaching roles.

Qualifications

  • BSc Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, United Kingdom, 1998
  • PhD, Cardiff University, United Kingdom

Employment

  • Lecturer, City, University of London, United Kingdom, July 2013 - present

Memberships of professional organisations

  • Member, College of Optometrists
  • Registered, General Optical Council

Languages

Spanish; Castilian

Teaching

Modules taught on

- OV3019: Clinical Skills and Visual Impairment
- OV3017: Eye Disease and Therapeutics
- OV2004: Clinical Skills II
- OV1012: Clinical Skills
- OVM031: Primary Care

Research

Title of thesis: Investigating the delivery and impact of patient-practitioner communication in modifying lifestyle of people with Age-Related Macular Degeneration

September 2020

Summary of research

Age related macular degeneration is the leading cause of visual impairment and severe visual loss. There is currently no treatment for non-neovascular AMD, however lifestyle modification (such as stopping smoking and changing diet) may reduce the risk of progression. Eye care professionals (ECP) are therefore recommended to provide lifestyle advice to patients with AMD. Studies suggest that these guidelines are not consistently followed, however, little research has been conducted to see what the barriers are to advice provision, and what approaches may increase communication effectiveness.
The aim of my thesis is to investigate the extent, nature and effectiveness of lifestyle modification advice currently given to patients with AMD to provide a framework to increase the provision of delivery and optimise communication effectiveness.

Research overview

Alison's principal research interest is age-related macular degeneration (AMD). Approximately 500,000 people in the UK have advanced AMD, and it is responsible for more than half of all registrations as sight impaired or severely sight impaired. Her research is targeted at the early stage of AMD, aiming to develop treatments to prevent progression to the sight-threatening form of the disease, and to identify sensitive biomarkers. Alison is also interested in the evaluation of low vision service provision for people with visual impairment, and has conducted two significant systematic reviews in the field. A further area of research interest is the evaluation of retinal adaptation using electrophysiology, psychophysics and imaging techniques. She considers this to be an important area of research, given the sensitivity of measures of retinal adaptation to early stages of retinal disease, including AMD.

Research areas

- Early detection and effective monitoring of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
- Development of new treatments for early AMD, to prevent onset of visual loss
- Development of clinical tools for the assessment of retinal adaptation
- Evaluation of visual rehabilitation strategies for people with visual impairment
- Electrophysiological biomarkers of retinal and optic nerve disease
- Effect of hypoxia on visual function

Grants

AMD light trial (ALIGHT): an exploratory phase I/IIa clinical trial investigating the effect of low level illumination at night on the progression of AMD. Oxygen consumption of the retina is reduced by exposing the eye to low illumination during sleep, thus minimising retinal hypoxia. This is a collaboration with Cardiff University (Dr Tom Margrain), Bristol Eye Hospital (Miss Clare Bailey), and Polyphotonix Medical Ltd. Funded by the College of Optometrists.

Development of retinal imaging densitometer: The design, development and evaluation of a new retinal imaging densitometer in a collaborative project with Cardiff University and the UK Astronomy and Technology Centre (UKATC). The densitometer measures reflectance of light from the retina to objectively evaluate the recovery of photopigment after exposure to a bright adapting light. The collaboration with UKATC permits the use of 'cutting edge' astronomical imaging technology to generate, for the first time, a topographical map of photopigment regeneration. This project is funded by the NIHR I4I scheme.

Evaluation of functional biomarkers for the early detection and monitoring of autosomal dominant optic atrophy: in collaboration with Professor Marcela Votruba and Dr Tom Margrain at Cardiff University.

Investigation of the effect of hypoxia on retinal function in AMD: Literature suggests that lack of oxygen at the outer retina may be responsible for the functional deficits seen in AMD. However, this hypothesis has never been directly evaluated. The effect of inhalation of supplementary oxygen on a range of visual functions will be investigated, as will the effect of background light level on hypoxia in AMD. This project is supported by the Cardiff University Endowment Scholarship.

Alison has also received grant funding from the Macular Society and the RNIB.

Research centres

- Ophthalmic Public Health

Principal collaborators

- Dr Tom Margrain (Cardiff University)
- Professor Marcela Votruba (Cardiff University)
- Miss Clare Bailey (Bristol Eye Hospital)
- Dr Joan Gispets (University Polytechnica de Catalunia)

Research students

Chris Jones

Further information: In collaboration with Dr Tom Margrain at Cardiff University

Claire Mckeague

Further information: In collaboration with Dr Tom Margrain at Cardiff University

Enyam Morny

Further information: In collaboration with Dr Tom Margrain at Cardiff University

Miss Angharad Hobby

Thesis title: Measuring Effects of long term anti-VEGF therapy on peripheral retinal function and structure

Further information: PhD start date Oct 2014; Second supervisor

2ndsupervisor

  • Sonali Dave, Research Student

Publications

Publications by category

Chapter

Conference papers and proceedings (21)

  • Behning, C., Terheyden, J.H., Finger, R., Dunbar, H.M.P., Sassmannshausen, M., Tufail, A.... Holz, F.G. Validating a Confirmatory Structure-Function Model Prognostic of Progression of Intermediate AMD: MACUSTAR Study Primary Endpoint Analysis. .
  • Dunbar, H.M.P., Behning, C., Binns, A.M., Terheyden, J.H., Poor, S.H., Finger, R.... Luhmann, U.F.O. The prognostic power of baseline visual function deficits in intermediate age-related macular degeneration (iAMD) for progression to late AMD - A MACUSTAR study report. .
  • Dave, S., Binns, A.M., Vinuela Navarro, V. and Callaghan, T. Patients experience of receiving lifestyle modification advice regarding Age related Macular Degeneration in hospital and optometric practices. .
  • Hafeez, A., Barbur, J.L., Ctori, I., Binns, A., Wong, S. and Lim, S. New methods for detection of early loss of rapid flicker, spatial vision, and chromatic sensitivity in glaucoma. .doi:10.1111/aos.16487
  • Behning, C., Dunbar, H., Sassmannshausen, M., Thiele, S., Binns, A., Higgins, B.... Luhmann, U. Evidence for association between impaired visual function and structurally defined sub-phenotypes in intermediate AMD - A MACUSTAR study report. .
  • Dunbar, H., Crabb, D., Behning, C., Binns, A., Terheyden, J., Poor, S.... Luhmann, U. Further evidence of heterogeneous visual function deficits in intermediate AMD. A MACUSTAR study report. .
  • Liermann, Y., Sassmannshausen, M., Behning, C., Weinhold, L., Schmid, M., Isselmann, B.... Thiele, S. Functional characterization of the relative ellipsoid zone reflectivity in age-related macular degeneration. .
  • Dunbar, H.M.P., Sassmannshausen, M., Behning, C., Thiele, S., Binns, A.M., Higgins, B.E.... Luhmann, U.F.O. (2022). Comparison of visual function in structurally defined sub-phenotypes of intermediate AMD: A MACUSTAR study report. ARVO Annual Meeting 2022 1-4 May, Denver, USA.
  • Dunbar, H., Behning, C., Taylor, D.J., Higgins, B.E., Montesano, G., Binns, A.M.... Luhmann, U.F.O. (2021). MACUSTAR cross-sectional data: Repeatability and discriminatory power of visual function tests. 2021 ARVO Annual Meeting 1-7 May, Online.
  • Waldie, A.M., Hobby, A.E., Chow, I., Cornish, E.E., Indusegaran, M., Pekacka, A.... Mahroo, O. (2020). Electrophysiological Assessment in Birdshot Chorioretinopathy: Use of a Portable Device in the Clinic. ARVO Annual Meeting 2020 3-7 May, Baltimore, USA.
  • Subramanian, A., Caute, A., Binns, A., Woolf, C., Naidoo, M. and Marshall, J. Roving reading: Exploring the use of portable smart camera technologies for adults with aphasia and/or visual impairments ESLRR. ESLRR Manchester.
  • Caute, A., Subramanian, A., Binns, A., Naidoo, M., Woolf, C. and Marshall, J. Roving reading: Exploring the use of portable smart camera technologies for adults with aphasia and/or visual impairments British Aphasiology conference. ESLRR Manchester.
  • Margrain, T.H., Cassels, N., Binns, A.M. and Wood, A. Rod and cone visual pigment synthesis rates are abnormal in iAMD and dependent on underlying pathology. .
  • Higgins, B.E., Taylor, D.J., Bi, W., Binns, A.M. and Crabb, D.P. Novel computer-based tests for assessing performance in visually guided tasks in people with age-related macular degeneration: searching for everyday objects and detecting road signs. .
  • Hobby, A.E., Huntjens, B., Mahroo, O.A.R., Crabb, D.P. and Binns, A.M. Association between number of injections during long-term anti VEGF therapy and retinal electrophysiological parameters. .
  • Margrain, T., Todd, S., Binns, A.M., Gaffney, A., Fergusson, J., Henry, D.... Wood, A. Functional imaging of the retinal pigment epithelium using high fidelity retinal densitometry. .
  • Taylor, D.J., Jones, P.R., Smith, N.D., Binns, A.M. and Crabb, D.P. (2018). Measuring real-time anxiety during simulated mobility scenarios in people with non-neovascular age-related macular degeneration (AMD). ARVO 2018 3 May-29 April, Honolulu, Hawaii.
  • Callaghan, T., Binns, A. and Margrain, T. Functional biomarkers of hypoxia in Age-related macular degeneration. .
  • Taylor, D.J., Smith, N., Binns, A. and Crabb, D. Searching for objects in everyday scenes and recognising faces: measuring performance in people with dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD). .
  • Hobby, A.E., Kozareva, D., Yonova, E.H., Hossain, I.T., Katta, M., Huntjens, B.... Mahroo, O.A.R. (2016). Effect of varying skin surface electrode position on electroretinogram responses recorded using a handheld stimulating and recording system. 2016 ARVO Annual meeting 1-5 May, Seattle, Washington.
  • Binns, A.M. and Margrain, T.H. (2003). The ERG photostress test. Annual Meeting of the Association-for-Research-in-Vision-and-Ophthalmology May-, FT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA.

Journal articles (66)

Professional activities

Clinical activity

  • Primary Care Clinic Co-ordinator

Editorial activity

  • Reviewer for: - Documenta Ophthalmologica - Acta Ophthalmologica - British Journal of Nutrition - Clinical and Experimental Optometry - Journal of Optometry.

Events/conferences (2)

  • European Low Vision Conference. Oxford University (2013).
    Description: The effectiveness of eccentric viewing training: a systematic review
  • Macular Society Top Doctors Conference (Invited Speaker). (2013).
    Description: Research into a potential new treatment for early AMD. www.macularsociety.org/How-we-help/top-doctors