Dr Nicola Logan

Professor in Optometry Aston University

  • Birmingham

Dr Logan's current research interests include the development, progression and managment of myopia.

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Spotlight

2 min

Aston University optometrists take up global industry association roles

Professor Nicola Logan has been named a global myopia management ambassador by the World Council of Optometry Dr Debarun Dutta is the new academic chair of the British Contact Lens Association Aston University School of Optometry is ranked in the top 10 for research in the Complete University Guide 2024 Professor Nicola Logan and Dr Debarun Dutta from Aston University’s School of Optometry have both been appointed to major roles within optometry industry associations. The School of Optometry is regularly ranked highly by both leading national ranking publications and in annual student-led surveys. This includes a top 10 ranking for research and a top five ranking for graduate prospects in the Complete University Guide 2024, and first in the UK for student/staff ratio in health professions (optometry) in the Guardian University Guide 2024. Professor Logan, professor of optometry and physiological optics and deputy head of the School, has been named a global myopia management ambassador by the World Council of Optometry (WCO). She is one of four new ambassadors named by the WCO in collaboration with CooperVision, a leading myopia management company. WCO and CooperVision have developed a myopia management online tool which reflects WCO’s global standard of myopia care. In March 2024, Professor Logan presented her inaugural lecture at Aston University on her research into the nature of myopia, the growing evidence base on strategies to control eye growth in children and translation of these findings to clinical practice. She said about her appointment as an ambassador: “I am thrilled to be appointed as the global myopia management ambassador for the World Council of Optometry. This role provides me with a valuable platform to advance the recognition of myopia as a significant public health concern and to facilitate the translation of research into effective, evidence-based clinical practice strategies for children with myopia.” Dr Dutta, a lecturer in optometry, has been appointed the new academic chair of the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA). He will lead the BCLA’s academic output, including offering guidance and advice to the BCLA council about scientific and academic elements of contact lenses. Dr Dutta will initially work alongside current academic chair, Professor James Wolffsohn, Aston University’s head of optometry, who is currently on sabbatical from the University, before taking over when Professor Wolffsohn steps down in 2025. Dr Dutta said: “I am hugely excited at the prospect of delivering academic provision of the British Contact Lens Association, with a specific focus on a highly prestigious conference programme as we grow our reputation as a global leader in contact lens and anterior eye education. This is a rare opportunity to work alongside our association members, fellows, trustees, global ambassadors and volunteers inspiring a new era for the BCLA, and to support our growth and development ambitions through delivery of educational activities within the contact lens and anterior eye specialism.”

Dr Nicola Logan

2 min

Optometry researchers to improve understanding of short sightedness management strategies in kids

Optometry researchers funded to assess the impact of myopia interventions on vision and visual behaviour in children Research partnership will improve understanding of myopia management strategies in children Two-year collaboration between Aston University and industry Researchers at Aston University specialising in myopia or short sightedness are starting work on a project with industry partners to better understand how myopia management strategies affect children. The research team based in the College of Health and Life Sciences has secured a £500,000 grant to determine the impact of myopia management interventions on vision and visual behaviour in children, for example, looking at how their vision responds to an intervention such as spectacles when they view objects at different distances. The new grant builds upon the team’s portfolio of research in the field of myopia, where clinical studies are underway with children between the ages of six and 15 years old. The researchers are working on slowing the progression of myopia in children. The interventions under trial include low dose atropine eye drops, contact lenses and spectacle lenses. Myopia is an eye condition where distant objects appear blurry. It typically occurs in childhood and progresses through the teenage years. It can lead to eye disease in later life, as the eye grows longer with myopia, it causes stretching in parts of the eye. Myopia is becoming increasingly prevalent throughout the world and it has been predicted to affect approximately 50 per cent of the world's population by 2050, based on trending myopia prevalence figures. Myopia is an overlooked but leading cause of blindness, particularly among the working age population. The two-year programme of research is being led by an internationally recognised team of academics from the School of Optometry, including Professor Leon Davies, Professor Nicola Logan, Dr Amy Sheppard, and Professor James Wolffsohn. The research grant will also support the appointment of two clinical research optometrists. Professor Leon Davies, professor of optometry and physiological optics at Aston University and president of the College of Optometrists said: “As Aston University has an established, internationally recognised track record in myopia research, we are pleased to be able to continue our work in this area to further our understanding of myopia management strategies for the benefit of patients.” Professor Nicola Logan, professor of optometry and physiological optics, at Aston University added: “As an advocate for evidence-based advancements, this research collaboration will further our scientific understanding of myopia progression. The work will increase our knowledge and better facilitate translation to clinical practice to manage young children more actively with myopia.”

Dr Nicola LoganLeon Davies

2 min

Clinical trials to combat short sightedness in children underway at Aston University

Clinical trials to treat myopia or short sightedness in children are now underway. They are being conducted by researchers from Aston University in partnership with industry and in collaboration with the Universities of Queens, Ulster, Glasgow Caledonian, Anglia Ruskin, Waterloo and TU Dublin, with one of the trials funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The myopia research team in the College of Health and Life Sciences at Aston University is recruiting children between the ages of six to 15 years old, to take part in the clinical studies, which involve a range of different interventions that aim to slow the progression of myopia in children. The interventions under trial include low dose atropine eye drops, contact lenses and spectacle lenses. Myopia is an eye condition where distant objects appear blurry. It typically occurs in childhood and progresses through the teenage years. It can lead to eye disease in later life, as the eye grows longer with myopia, it causes stretching in parts of the eye. Myopia is becoming increasingly prevalent throughout the world and it has been predicted to affect approximately 50 per cent of the world's population by 2050, based on trending myopia prevalence figures. Myopia is an overlooked but leading cause of blindness, particularly among the working age population. At present, different designs of soft contact lenses, orthokeratology contact lenses (lenses worn overnight to correct the myopia), novel spectacle lenses and eye drops are all being used to slow eye growth and myopia progression in children. The aim in this trial is to manage myopia with an intervention at a young age in order to maximise the impact on slowing down the progression of myopia. Lead researcher professor, Nicola Logan, said: “Myopia is often considered benign because the blurred vision is easily corrected with glasses, contact lenses or refractive surgery. Higher levels of myopia are associated with increased risk of pathological complications, but it is important to note that there is no safe level of myopia. Even low levels of myopia increase the risk of sight-threatening eye conditions. “We are at an exciting time whereby we now have interventions based on research evidence that can be used in clinical practice that will help to slow down the rate of progression of myopia. “In these trials we want to find out the impact of different interventions on myopia progression in UK children, as well as look at why myopia develops and how it progresses in children, to see if we can enhance the current interventions. New information may be used to make the myopia control interventions more effective.” The researchers are aiming to recruit around 200 children aged between six and 15 years old across the three trials by 2021. If you are a parent or guardian of children who have myopia and feel this may be suitable for your children, then you can contact the research team at myopia@aston.ac.uk or (+44)121 204 4100 for further information.

Dr Nicola Logan

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Biography

Dr Nicola Logan's current research interests include the development, progression and managment of myopia. Her work spans from basic laboratory experimentation and translate through to clinical trials that involve different strategies to slow myopia progression in children. Nicola runs both an active myopia research lab and a clinical service in myopia management. We run a number of clinical trials in myopia management and integrate findings into our clinical practice ensuring we offer the best evidence based options.

Areas of Expertise

Optometry
Myopia Control
Myopia
Development of Refractive Error

Education

Aston University

MEd

Education

2017

Aston University

PhD

Optometry

1997

Aston University

BSc

Optometry

1992

Media Appearances

Model pupils

Optometry Today  online

2018-04-03

Aston University senior lecturer, Dr Nicola Logan, outlined the importance of beginning myopia management early during her presentation, Evidence base for myopia management, at the College of Optometrists' annual conference, Optometry Tomorrow (18–19 March, Birmingham).

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Children need more violet light – here’s why

The Conversation  online

2017-03-01

Short-sightedness is a global public health problem. Most people think of myopia (the medical term for short-sightedness) as an inconvenience because the blurred vision it causes is easily corrected with glasses or contact lenses. The problem is that a myopic eye is a longer eye and so the light sensitive part at the back of the eye is stretched. This can lead to a number of eye diseases in later life, such as glaucoma, maculopathy and retinal detachment.

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Articles

Low-dose (0.01%) atropine eye-drops to reduce progression of myopia in children: a multicentre placebo-controlled randomised trial in the UK (CHAMP-UK)—study protocol

British Journal of Ophthalmology

2020

To report the protocol of a trial designed to evaluate the efficacy, safety and mechanism of action of low-dose atropine (0.01%) eye-drops for reducing progression of myopia in UK children.

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In vivo measures of anterior scleral resistance in humans with rebound tonometry

Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics

2020

To measure regional variations in anterior scleral resistance (ASR) using a ballistic rebound tonometer (RBT) and examine whether the variations are significantly affected by ethnicity and refractive error (RE).

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Western Australia Atropine for the Treatment of Myopia (WA‐ATOM) study: Rationale, methodology and participant baseline characteristics

Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology

2020

Atropine eyedrops are a promising treatment for slowing myopia progression in East Asian children. However, its effects on children in Australia, including those of non‐Asian background, have not been well‐studied.

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