Lay summary
We wish to conduct a preliminary literature search and gather expert advice to prepare and develop a proposal for an HRC project grant 2024. This grant will allow us to do the preliminary work necessary to prepare for a full project proposal.
In New Zealand, the most common cause of corneal blindness is keratoconus. In the last decade, newer treatment techniques such as corneal cross-linking are becoming more readily available. It is a surgical procedure designed to slow or even halt the progression of keratoconus, therefore reducing the need for a corneal transplant. Working with industry leaders, we are proposing a novel and cost-effective way to screen for keratoconus and deliver corneal cross-linking.
The proposed project grant will focus on gathering necessary data to make a case for screening keratoconus, developing a precision-medicine algorithm to identify the at-risk populations, and developing a cost-effective way to deliver corneal cross-linking.