Since only 15 of the 27 members of the subcommittee were present at the last meeting, it was decided that the chairperson selection would take place offline. Details of the requirements of the chair are outlined here. In particular, note that the chair should:
- Be a clinician
- Be willing and able to arrange and chair meetings
- Be willing and able to act as corresponding author on the published guideline
To put yourself forward to chair the subcommittee, please post one paragraph below outlining your relevant experience, no later than Tuesday 7th October. A link will then be provided to all subcommittee members to vote.
Helena Lee (Proposed Chair) https://www.southampton.ac.uk/people/5xf6st/doctor-helena-lee
I am an academic ophthalmologist with a specialist interest in neuro-ophthalmology, paediatrics and strabismus. As a practicing clinician, I review and treat both children and adults with nystagmus (both infantile and acquired) and other eye movement disorders and therefore have an understanding of what is practically needed/useful from eye tracking in the clinical setting. As a researcher I have established the role of optical coherence tomography (OCT) in helping to diagnose the cause of infantile nystagmus. This work has subsequently been incorporated into the Royal College Ophthalmologists’ guidelines for the management of infantile nystagmus ( https://www.rcophth.ac.uk/resources-listing/managing-nystagmus-in-childhood/ ).
I am one of the founding members of the Nystagmus UK Eye research group (NUKE) ( https://nystagmusnetwork.org/research/nuke/ ) which aims to improve the clinical care and wellbeing of people living with this condition by collaborating and sharing data and ideas. In other very relevant work, I am attempting to establish a core outcome set for clinical trials in nystagmus through the COMET initiative ( https://www.comet-initiative.org/studies/details/1189 ).
My current research is investigating the role of Oral Levodopa in improving Visual development in Infants and young children with Albinism (the OLIVIA study) for which I have been previously been awarded an MRC Clinician Scientist Fellowship and which is currently funded by an MRC DPFS grant. It is hoped that this will proceed to a pilot/feasibility clinical trial within then next two years and will incorporate eye movement recordings as part of the outcome measures. I am also working on developing other novel therapeutics for albinism, work which is funded through the Medical Research Foundation.
Rebecca McLean (Proposed Vice-Chair)
Rebecca is a Clinical Scientist/Research Fellow with a specialist interest in eye movement disorders. As Rebecca’s role as a Clinical Scientist at the University Hospitals of Leicester she oversees the eye movement recording clinics and has a specialist interest in nystagmus. Rebecca has over 25 years’ experience in performing and interpreting eye movement recordings in both children and adults, for diagnostic and monitoring purposes. Additionally Rebecca has an extensive nystagmus research portfolio with a particular interest in the evaluation of nystagmus characteristics and assessing potential treatments.
Thanks both—there is no contest, so congratulations on your election to the chair and vice chair positions. I know you both have plenty of experience and am looking forward to seeing how this first ISCET guideline develops. Just a holding message for now; I’ll write to you both by email next week to pass on the details of subcommittee members so you can arrange the next meeting as suits.