Agnes Wong, MD, PhD, FRCSC.

CHICAGO— Prevent Blindness has announced Agnes Wong, MD, PhD, FRCSC the recipient of its 11th Annual Joanne Angle Investigator Award. The award will provide a research grant to the University of Toronto for Wong’s study, “Screening for Eye Problems in Preschool Children.” Wong is a professor and vice chair of research and academic affairs at the University of Toronto, department of ophthalmology and vision sciences, as well as John and Melinda Thompson Chair in Vision Neurosciences and Ophthalmologist-in-Chief at The Hospital for Sick Children, according to Prevent Blindness.

The Joanne Angle Investigator Awards are presented by Prevent Blindness each year to scientifically-based studies that seek to end unnecessary vision loss, a part of the non-profit group’s more than 100-year-old mission, Prevent Blindness said. To date, the association has awarded more than $1 million to eye and vision research projects.

Wong’s project, “Screening for Eye Problems in Preschool Children,” seeks information on the most clinically efficient and cost-effective screening tools for schools to use to detect eye problems in young children. The study specifically aims to improve detection of amblyopia in children aged three to nine and to identify the best methods to detect refractive errors in children before they begin schooling, Prevent Blindness said.

Results of the study will contribute to the work of the National Center for Children’s Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH), a part of the organization which is working to develop a coordinated public health infrastructure and to promote and ensure a comprehensive, multi-tiered continuum of vision care for young children, the association said.

“Because so much of a child’s learning happens visually, it is crucial to make sure all children are able to see clearly to help them succeed in the classroom,” said Wong. “Through this research, and with the support of Prevent Blindness, we can help determine what the best practices are to make a positive difference in the life of every child.”

The Joanne Angle Investigator Award was recently renamed after Joanne Angle, who served with the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) and volunteered for Prevent Blindness as part of the National Board of Directors and various committees.