Tess Ames
26th October 2021

ORBITAL ESR Azza Dammak takes first prize for poster presentation at 5ª Edición PhDAY- FACULTAD DE ÓPTICA Y OPTOMETRÍA 2021

ORBITAL is thrilled to announce that ESR 14, Azza Dammak, was recently recognized for her outstanding poster presentation at the PhDAY- FACULTAD DE ÓPTICA Y OPTOMETRÍA 2021, (PhDAy-FOO) hosted by ORBITAL beneficiary, Complutense University of Madrid. 

 

The 5th PhDAY-FOO is an annual Congress organized by the faculty of Optics and Optometry of the Complutense University of Madrid (UCM) for doctoral students. It is a free congress during which young scientists will be able to present their research to the rest of their pre-doctoral colleagues and to the entire university community to take advantage of this event. On this occasion, 27 doctoral students participated in the congress as speakers for a Poster or Oral presentation (in person or via videoconference with justified disabilities). Azza was awarded first-prize for her poster presentation.

 

The Research:

The experiments are designed to develop and characterize a rabbit model of chronic intraocular hypertension with characteristics similar to human chronic glaucoma. First, the model is developed by making multiple intraocular hypertension injections of 80 nM gold nanoparticles (GNP). Second, the model is characterized by the measurement of the concentration of different biomarkers related to Glaucoma. The weekly extraction of AH is performed to analyse the concentration of Osteopontin, Melatonin and AP4A. In this work, IOP was measured by TonoVet contact tonometer, and biomarker’s concentration was measured weekly, using HPLC technique. The highest IOP was obtained with the rabbit model (compared to control rabbits). Moreover, there is a difference between the two groups, in the level of Osteopontin (OPN) which is a relevant biomarker of Glaucoma. In conclusion, this model seems to mimic the pathology of Glaucoma.

 

To learn more about Azza’s current work at UCM and Ocupharm, follow us on social media or check out our most recent news at https://www.orbital-itn.eu/news/. 

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