Dr Niall Strang

Senior Lecturer, Vision Sciences

T: +44 141 331 8206

Dr Niall Strang is the Subject Lead in Vision Science area at Glasgow Caledonian Univeristy. Dr Strang first trained as an optometrist at Glasgow College of Technology and went on to complete a PhD under the supervision of Prof Barry Winn and Prof Bernard Gilmartin. The work studied retinotopic and spatiotopic factors in myopia. He then took up a postdoctoral position at Queensland University of Technology (collaborating with David Atchison and Katrina Schmid) followed by a lecturing position at the University of Bradford. Dr Strang returned to Glasgow Caledonian University in 2003. Dr. Strang has presented both research and educational lectures in many countries including Malaysia, Finland, India and Australia.

Research Interests

Research interests are mainly in the area of oculomotor research and include work in the area of accommodation, refractive error development and visual performance. Dr Strang is a member of the Visual Neuroscience Research Group at GCU and has recently extended his research to include psychophysical measurement in low vision and dementia patients.

Teaching Interests

Teaching interests are predominantly in the areas of Binocular Vision and Visual Development, Ocular Pharmacology, Clinical Optometry, Geometrical, Applied Optics, Colour Vision and Refractive Error Development. Other responsibilities include the role of module leader in Binocular Vision Anomalies. Dr Strang initially developed the postgraduate ocular therapeutics course at Glasgow Caledonian University. Dr Strang forms part of the multidisciplinary team that work in the Binocular Vision Clinic at Glasgow Caledonian University.

Recent Publications

Mihaylov P, Manahilov V, Simpson WA, Strang NC. (2007) Induced internal noise in perceptual artificial scotomas created by surrounding dynamic noise. Vision Res. 47, 1479-89.
Day M, Strang NC, Seidel D, Gray LS. (2008) The effect of contact lenses on measurement of the accommodation microfluctuations. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 28, 91-95.
Mucke S, Manahilov V, Strang NC, Seidel D, Gray LS. (2008) New type of perceptual suppression during dynamic ocular accommodation. Curr Biol. 8;18(13):R555-6.
Day M, Seidel D, Gray LS, Strang NC (2009) The effect of modulating ocular depth of focus upon accommodation microfluctuations in myopic and emmetropic subjects. Vision Res. Jan;49(2):211-8.
Day M, Seidel D, Gray LS, Strang NC (2009) The relationship between object spatial profile and ac-commodation microfluctuations in emmetropes and myopes. Journal of Vision (in press).
Mucke S, Manahilov V, Strang NC, Seidel D, Gray LS, Shahani U. (2010) Investigating the mechanisms that may underlie the reduction in contrast sensitivity during dynamic accommodation. J Vis. 2010 May 1;10(5):5. doi: 10.1167/10.5.5.
Morrison KA, Seidel D, Strang NC, Gray LS. (2010) The effect of proximity on open-loop accommodation responses measured with pinholes. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. Jul;30(4):365-70.
Strang NC, Day M, Gray LS, Seidel D. (2011) Accommodation steps, target spatial frequency and refractive error. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. Sep;31(5):444-55. doi: 10.1111/j.1475-1313.2011.00855.x. Epub 2011 Jun 9.
LM Watson, NC Strang, F Scobie, GD Love, D Seidel, V Manahilov. Image jitter enhances visual performance when spatial resolution is impaired. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science (in press).

Book Chapters

“Accommodation Dynamics” in Presbyopia. Charman and Plainis. 2012.

Recent Funding

Visual Research Trust 2007 : £980 The influence of target spatial frequency on accommodation accuracy in myopic subjects. Strang NC
Visual Research Trust 2008: £8,175 Compromised visual function in the ageing eye. Manahilov V and Strang NC.
College of Optometrists Research Studentship 2009 : £50235 Improving Visual Performance in Low Vision Patients. Strang NC, Manahilov, V and Seidel, D.
College of Optometrists Summer Scholarship 2012: £2000. Internal noise in dementia. Strang NC and Manahilov V.

Collaborations

I am a member of the Visual Neuroscience Research Group and have a number of collaborators including Velitchko Manahilov, Mhairi Day, Lyle Gray, Anita Simmers and Dirk Seidel. The lab includes a number of PhD students including Lynne Watson, Robin Legge, Alice McTrusty, Bastian Cagnolati.
Current external collaborators include Dr Edward Mallen, Department of Optometry, University of Bradford and Prof Gordon Love, Department of Physics, Durham University.

Knowledge Transfer

I2eye Diagnostics

Research Alumni

Former PhD students include:

Fuensanta Vera Diaz New England College of Optometry (http://www.neco.edu/about-the-college/faculty.html?facultyname=Q-Z)
Mhairi Day (Glasgow Caledonian University) www.gcu.ac.uk/hls/staff/drmhairiday/
Senay Aydin (Anglia Polytechnic University) (http://www.anglia.ac.uk/ruskin/en/home/faculties/fst/departments/vision_hearing/staff/dr_senay_aydin__phd.html)

Dr Strang is an Examiner on the College of Optometrists scheme for registration and serves on the College of Optometrists research committee. He is currently external examiner at the University of Bradford (2009-2012) and has been Chairman of the Visual Research Trust since 2010.

In his spare time Dr Strang enjoys cycling uphill and playing football.