QUT researcher, Professor Joanne Wood from the School of Optometry and Vision Science, was awarded the 2022 Oberdorfer Award for Low Vision Research for her extensive research, particularly on the impact of vision impairment on driving ability and safety, in the United States earlier this month.
The award was presented by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology at which Professor Wood gave an invited paper on “Age-related macular degeneration and driving”.
Professor Wood’s research career covers fundamental science, human factors, and public health research to improve understanding of the functional effects of vision impairment.
The recipient of more than 20 national and international awards for her research, teaching and significant impact in optometry and eye care, Professor Wood founded and leads QUT’s vision and driving research laboratory which investigates the impact of vision, ageing and vision impairment on driving safety.
“The laboratory uses unique experimental designs for the measurement of on-road driving performance on the open road and closed-circuit driving courses,” she said.
“Our research has advanced understanding of how simulated and true vision impairment affect driving performance to identify visual predictors of driving performance.”
Professor Wood has shared her 30 years of research in this field through more than 250 publications and multiple conference presentations.
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