Dr Priyanka Maniarasu, post-doctoral fellow at LVPEI, has received the prestigious Developing Country Eye Researcher Travel Fellowship (DCERF) under the Women in Eye and Vision Research (WEAVR) category by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) for her work titled ‘Eye movements in glaucoma and amblyopia.’
Mentored by Dr PremNandhini Satgunam, Dr Priyanka’s PhD focused on eye movements in glaucoma for early detection. Her postdoctoral fellowship now extends this to the amblyopia group and other binocular vision disorders, exploring how eye movements can provide an objective tool for diagnosis and management.
Why this study matters: Eye movements offer a powerful, non-invasive window into how the brain processes visual and cognitive information, yet their clinical use is limited by complex analysis and the lack of practical workflows. By integrating eye-tracking into clinical practice, this research aims to study binocular vision disorders more holistically, improving understanding, diagnosis, management, and monitoring.
Quote from the mentor: ARVO’s DCERF fellowship is a big motivating factor for our team to further explore eye movements and bridge the gap between clinical practice and research. ARVO provides a vital opportunity and makes me feel more responsible to learn from global experts to discuss challenges and improve my thought processes to enhance my research skills to strengthen my clinical practice. (Dr PremNandhini Satgunam)
The Developing Country Eye Researcher Travel Fellowship (DCERF) program invites aspiring scientists from developing countries to ARVO’s Annual Meeting, being held from May 3-7, 2026, to provide young researchers with access to the latest in vision sciences, offering them opportunities to network with colleagues, mentors, and thought leaders, and to develop an effective vision research program in their home countries.
