Hundreds of Indiana's top optometrists are converging on the Indiana University Bloomington campus today as the Indiana Optometric Association's annual fall seminar gets under way.

An Indiana University School of Optometry researcher and the IU spinout company she formed to develop a new diagnostic camera have both received grants from federal agencies to advance work toward preventing vision loss in diabetes patients.

Indiana University School of Optometry associate dean and professor Dr. Joseph A. Bonanno has been named to the 12-member National Advisory Eye Council.

A group of scientists working in Indiana University's School of Optometry and the Department of Biology will share more than $2.2 million from the National Institutes of Health to support their ongoing vision research.

An Indiana University School of Optometry faculty member's company is nearing completion of a diagnostic camera that could aid in saving the vision of millions of people worldwide. Dr. Ann Elsner, director of IU's Borish Center for Ophthalmic Research, believes screening to prevent one of the most devastating aspects of diabetes -- vision loss and blindness from diabetic retinopathy -- could be expanded to millions of underserved people if a more affordable diagnostic camera were available.

Indiana University School of Optometry and the The Vision Care Institute LLC have announced a partnership designed to extend distance learning, live programming and professional-level training opportunities for optometry students with the opening of a satellite learning center at IU's new Atwater Eye Care Center.

The Indiana University School of Optometry's $3 million Atwater Eye Care Center swung into full-time operation Jan. 5 at its new campus-centric, high profile location on East Third Street. Designed to meet the tri-fold mission of providing opportunities for teaching, service and research in a clinical environment of the highest-quality, the 22,000-square-foot building opened its doors at a time of sustained growth that has resulted in record external research funding, broadening clinical services and the acquisition of new, state-of-the-art diagnostic tools.

The Indiana University School of Optometry will celebrate its newly finished Eye Care Center on the Bloomington campus with a formal dedication ceremony on Wednesday (Oct. 8). The event, which will take place at the Whittenberger Auditorium at the Indiana Memorial Union at 4:30 p.m., will be followed by a reception at the new clinic located at 744 E. Third St.

Scientists from Indiana University Bloomington and Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis discuss firefighters' health, increasing evidence of iodine deficiencies and the importance of regular eye exams.

Dr. Edwin C. Marshall, IU vice president for diversity, equity and multicultural affairs and professor of optometry and public health, will deliver one of the invited keynote addresses at the Second World Conference on Optometric Globalization.

IU Health & Wellness for March discusses studies about the vascular benefits of exercise for overweight but active men and about the controversial HPV vaccine. It also offers tips for preventing computer vision syndrome and for finding those elusive 30 minutes a day for exercise.

On Saturday, Feb. 16, second-year Optometry students at Indiana University Bloomington will celebrate a big milestone in their education. More than 70 students will participate in a traditional white coat ceremony, which marks the beginning of the clinical phase of their careers. The relatively new but now common ceremony is meant to mark a student's transition into a profession that demands a higher standard of humanism and professionalism.

Tips from Indiana University professors on key issues related to tobacco policy in Indiana: factors in Indiana's high smoking rate, top three ways to prevent kids from smoking, how smoking can lead to blindness, tobacco outspending public health 44 to one in Indiana, why messages matter in youth smoking decisions and how tobacco covers its assets.

Holiday story ideas from Indiana University include how the season appears to people with a color vision deficiency, a survival guide to family get-togethers, how children are affected by their parents' holiday stress and deciding where to contribute your charitable donations before the close of 2006.

Living Well for September discusses athletes' vision concerns, baby boomers strength training, a 'making friends' primer and adolescents' use of steroids.

The University School of Optometry's Centro de Rehabilitación Visual, located between Silao and Guanajuato in Mexico, moved this month into a new, $1 million facility designated for its use by Mexican state officials.

P. Sarita Soni, professor of optometry and vice provost for research at Indiana University Bloomington, was named among the 50 most influential women in optical in a report released by Vision Monday magazine, a national news and analysis service for eye care professionals.

July's Living Well has a back-to-school theme and features school readiness tips for parents, a smooth transition to high school, gambling as a top priority for youth substance abuse prevention and undiagnosed vision problems leading to difficulties in early education.

The Indiana University School of Optometry is urging anyone who uses the Bausch and Lomb ReNu with Moisture Loc solution to stop using it and to seek medical attention immediately if they experience unusual irritation or eye pain.

Children make up a disproportionate number of people injured by fireworks, so parents need to take special care to keep their children safe this holiday weekend, said Dr. Richard Meetz, clinical associate professor in the School of Optometry at Indiana University Bloomington. Sparklers, which burn hot enough to melt gold, are usually the culprit. They are the only fireworks that are hand-held when they are burning, and they are held by little hands on short arms.

Surprising results from a nationwide clinical trial show that many children ages 7 through 17 who have amblyopia, or "lazy eye," may benefit from treatments commonly used on younger children. Previously, eye care professionals thought that treating amblyopia in older children would be of little benefit.

This month's Living Well tips discuss the importance of exercise and annual dilated eye exams for people with diabetes, insights into memory, and questions to pose when looking for a personal trainer.