Research subject: Effects of astigmatism on binocular visual perception
I immigrated from Morocco in 2001. In 2005, I was accepted to the preparatory school for immigrants at Bar Ilan University. In 2010 I graduated with a bachelor's degree in optometry. After six years of working as an optometrist and studying for a master's degree at Hadassah College, I was accepted for master's studies with a thesis at the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences. My research dealt with the effect of oblique astigmatism on perception. I had the privilege of presenting his results at the Vision Science Society conference in Florida and even for a scientific publication in the Scientific Report newspaper. Today I am a doctoral student in vision sciences in Prof. Uri Polat's laboratory and I continue to research the effect of optical correction on spatial and binocular perception. At the same time, I manage the mobile clinic project of the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, which performs free vision tests for the vulnerable populations in Israel. This is a unique project, which combines donation, learning and helping others. To date, we have managed to reach dozens of places in Israel, including orphanages, schools, old people's homes and even Holocaust survivors. The world of research is endless and gives an opportunity to experiment and learn new tools, which open wide horizons. Our role as research optometrists is to build and strengthen the bridge between the clinic and the world of science, to develop new diagnostic and therapeutic tools, and to promote the profession of optometry as an essential research tool in the field of vision.