Ophthalmology research participants wanted

Hi everyone. My name is Narae, first year ophthalmology resident at UW. I’m looking for students who would be willing to participate in my research. Aim: study the microbiome of ocular surface of healthy subjects. The data from this study will eventually used to study the microbiome of dry eye patients. Inclusion criteria: 30 years or younger, 60 or older in good health Exclusion criteria: contact lens wear, oral/topical antibiotics or steroids used in the last six months, immunocompromised state, dry eyes Method: After answering a questionnaire (which can be done via email), I will know whether you qualify for the study. If you do qualify, we can meet at the eye institute or 4W for the tear collection. You will be lying flat on an exam chair, and I will put several drops of proparacaine to numb the eyes (drops we use when checking eye pressure). Then I will use two different swabs (one looks like a regular q tip, the other one is a little bigger) to swab each fornix for the total of eight swabs. Everything takes about 15-20 minutes. Some people had dry eyes for few hours afterwards but most people tolerated it well. As for the samples, one set will go to HMC microbiology for culture and the second set will go to Dr. Van Gelder’s lab in SLU for BRiSK. BRiSK will check for bugs using DNA tags. No follow-up needed. Thank you for taking the time to read this email and let me now if you have any questions. Please email naraeko@gmail.com if interested in participating. Best, Narae