Jingjing Lin
‘Retinal Biomarkers in Parkinson’s disease’
University of Melbourne, Vic
Awarded 2024
Co-funded by the Rotary Clubs of District 9800 Clubs and Members Parkinson’s Disease Research PhD
“Parkinson’s Disease (PD) causes a burden on the individual, family and society. From my perspective, if it is possible to develop methods that are fast and inexpensive to assist in early detection of PD, thereby enabling lifestyle interventions, facilitate development of new treatments and eventually to improve patients’ well-being.”
Researcher Profile
My research background is in ocular research including neurodegenerative disease in the eye. In 2008, I graduated from the department of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, with a maser degree in Ophthalmology and Optometry (a 7-year program). Till now, I have participated in 3 projects related to neurodegenerative diseases in the eye (Wenzhou Science Y20180728、Y20180713、Y20190635).
Besides, in the field of retina diseases, I have published 7 papers as a co-author. Since 2008, I have worked in the Affiliated Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China. In the comprehensive ranking list (STEM) of Chinese hospitals in 2020, Wenzhou Medical University continued to rank the 1st of Chinese ophthalmic specialty hospitals in Science and Technology output for three consecutive years.
Project Summary
The overall purpose of this project is to develop novel retinal imaging analysis and digitized colour vision tools to facilitate early detection of PD. We need to be able to detect Parkinson’s disease earlier and better if we are to develop new treatments. The eye has the potential to provide a window into the brain. Changes in vision are common in Parkinson’s disease and can present earlier than motor symptoms by as much as a decade. In particular, colour vision is known to be sensitive to toxin exposure. Currently colour vision tests have to be done by a trained clinician with specialized equipment and lighting.
This project aims to develop digitized colour vision tests that can be conducted on standard tablets or computers opening the possibility of doing them from the comfort of home. We will validate computer-based colour vision testing as the first stage of our early Parkinson’s disease detection system.
The second stage involves retinal scans (optical coherence tomography, OCT) that are already widespread throughout eye-care clinics. We will make the data derived from those scans more sensitive for Parkinson’s disease by analysing thickness and reflectance changes to those retinal layers where colour vision starts. This study will lay the foundation for developing disease modifying treatments at a time where neurons can still be rescued.