Background:

Abby completed her undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering (Meng) at Loughborough University in 2012 with 1^st Class honours. Following this Abby was awarded EPSRC funding to undertake a PhD at Loughborough University, in collaboration with UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, focussed on the development of a new technique for the assessment of corneal biomechanics. After completion of her PhD in 2017, Abby became a Post-doctoral Research associate (funded by Cancer Research) in the Cavendish Laboratory at the University of Cambridge where she worked on the development of new optical technologies to enable early cancer detection. In March 2019 Abby returned to Loughborough University after being awarded the EPSRC Prize Doctoral Fellowship to enable her to continue her work on corneal biomechanics.

Qualifications:

MEng Mechanical Engineering (Loughborough University 2012)
PhD Biomedical Optics (Loughborough University 2018)

Key Awards:

EPSRC Prize Doctoral Fellowship (2019 – 2021)
Fight for Sight Scholarship for PhD study (2015 – 2017)
EPSRC Scholarship for PhD (2012 – 2015)
Carlton Laser Scholarship for teamwork and leadership (2012)
ENSURE Scholarship (2011)
Loughborough University Scholarship for outstanding academic achievement in 1^st year of Undergraduate degree (2008)

Main research interests:

• Development of a new clinically translatable technique for the non-invasive assessment of corneal biomechanics and the identification of corneal biomechanical abnormalities.
• Understanding of the biomechanical implications of diseases associated with biomechanical abnormalities (i.e. keratoconus, ectasia) and the implications of surgical intervention
• Biomechanical implications of current refractive surgery techniques
• Biomechanical and topographic effects of topographically-guided collagen crosslinking
• Speckle interferometry
• Structured Illumination
• Profilometry

Grants and contracts:

2019 – 2020 Fight for Sight – Joint PI with Professor John Marshall for collaborative project with UCL, Zeiss, Moorfields Eye Hospital and London Vision Clinic – ‘Determining the biomechanical implications of current Refractive Surgery techniques.’

-        Development of a new clinically translatable technique for the non-invasive assessment of corneal biomechanics and the identification of corneal biomechanical abnormalities.

-        Understanding of the biomechanical implications of diseases associated with biomechanical abnormalities (i.e. keratoconus, ectasia) and the implications of surgical intervention

-        Biomechanical implications of current refractive surgery techniques

-        Biomechanical and topographic effects of topographically-guided collagen crosslinking

-        Speckle interferometry

-        Structured Illumination

Profilometry

Recent publications:

• Wilson, A., Marshall, J. & Tyrer, J. R. The role of light in measuring ocular biomechanics. Eye 30, 234–240 (2016).
• Wilson, A. & Marshall, J. Electronic Speckle Pattern Interferometry and Lateral Shearing Interferometry in Biomechanics of the Eye (eds. Roberts, C. J., Dupps, W. J. & Downs, J. C.) 147–157 (Kugler publications, 2018).
• Wilson, A., Tyrer, J. R. & Marshall, J. Laser Interferometry in Corneal Biomechanics : from theory to practice (eds. Roberts, C. J. & Liu, J.) 39–56 (Kugler publications, 2016).

External collaborators:

• UCL Institute of Ophthalmology
• Carl Zeiss Meditec
• London Vision Clinic
• Moorfields Eye Hospital
• Nottingham University
• Avedro Inc.