Researcher Profile

Glaucoma Research Unit
 

REGULAR family visits to the Eye and Ear Hospital for her sister‘s turned eye sparked an early interest in eye disease for Fleur O'Hare.

Now a Clinical Research Coordinator in CERA's Glaucoma Research Unit, Fleur practices in many of the same clinics she visited as a child.  

After completing a Bachelor of Science majoring in Orthoptics and Ophthalmic Science, Fleur honed her orthoptic skills by practising in various clinics.  

According to Fleur, she was attracted to research early in her career.

"I'm a naturally inquisitive person.  As an orthoptist, I'd constantly be asking questions about why some patient's treatment was successful while others failed," Fleur said.

"While I enjoy orthoptic work, there's a point when you hit the ceiling and can't progress without further study. I hit the ceiling pretty quickly and sought further stimulation," she said.  

 Through her role, Fleur is undertaking a Masters of Philosophy in clinical ophthalmic research at the University of Melbourne.  For Fleur, the best part of her job is the diversity it offers and the ability to exercise initiative.

"There's a good balance between clinic and research so I don't get locked into the one frame. I'm encouraged to ‘think outside the square' and implement solutions," Fleur said.

For her Masters project, Fleur is conducting a world-first study to investigate different aspects of auditory (hearing) function in glaucoma patients.

 "Researchers are yet to reach consensus on whether patients with glaucoma suffer hearing loss. I'm looking at various aspects of patient's hearing to find a definitive answer" Fleur said.   

Given glaucoma is a neurodegenerative disease, researchers believe suffers are at a higher risk of sensory nerve problems.

Fleur's research focuses on the temporal processing abilities of glaucoma patients. Temporal processing, or the time related aspects of processing sound, is often described as the foundation of the hearing process.  

"If patients can detect changes in pitch and timing, they're more likely to perceive changes in articulation, vowels and speech sounds, which is important for speech recognition and communication in general," Fleur said.  

Preliminary results suggest that a sub-group of glaucoma patients suffer hearing processing deficits, which could potentially have a profound effect on their daily living activities and ability to communicate.

 "Discovering the impact of glaucoma on the other senses will help us to better understand its development and create screening tests for earlier detection and the prevention of vision loss."

 Fleur says the end goal is always to benefit the patient.

 "I get a real buzz from finding new ways to treat and diagnose patients. It sounds corny but I love being able to make a difference."