Helen Griffiths

Biography

I joined the University of Sheffield in 1995 as Lecturer in Orthoptics. Prior to this I worked as an Orthoptist in Bristol Eye Hospital, Bradford Royal Infirmary, Leeds General Infirmary and North Nottinghamshire. Since becoming Lecturer and promotion to Senior Lecturer in 2011, I have worked to develop teaching, curriculum and assessment of the B Med Sci (Orthoptics) and M Med Sci (Vision and Strabismus) Programmes.

Research Interest

I have developed a research interest which has contributed to curriculum development and teaching within the B Med Sci (Orthoptics) and M Med Sci (Vision & Strabismus) programmes. This began with the investigation of sensory adaptations in strabismus and nystagmus using eye movement recordings. In my role of Vision Screening Special Interest Group (SIG) Lead for the British and Irish Orthoptic Society, I led a project to map and audit Vision Screening provision for childhood vision defects through the UK and Ireland.  The variability in service provision has been highlighted through this work and I am continuing in the pursuit of equitable, cost-effective and evidence-based vision screening. I collaborate with Dr Jill Carlton (UoS), Professor Herb Simonz and Dr Frea Sloot (Erasmus MC, Rotterdam) on a project to produce a EU-wide inventory of vision and hearing screening.  The aim of this project is to introduce optomised population-orientated vision and hearing screening programmes in middle-income European Countries.   For further details see http://www.euscreen.net/ In 2015, in collaboration with Anne Bjerre and Gemma Arblaster, I was successfully awarded two grants from Nystagmus Network to develop research and teaching of the clinical assessment and information given to patients with nystagmus.   For further details of the eye movement lab and ongoing current research please see the link in the box on the right.   I collaborated with researchers in the Department of Psychology.  A project on Visual Function in Autism with Dr Elizabeth Milne, Dr David Buckley and myself received an ERSC grant.