Professor Daphne L McCulloch

SLS_VIS_McCulloch ‌Professor of Vision Sciences

T: +44 (0)141 331 3388

Optometrist and supervisor, GCU Infant Vision and Learning Disability Vision Clinics
Honorary Research Associate, Greater Glasgow Health Board, with appointments at the Princess Royal Maternity Hospital and the Yorkhill Hospitals

Director of Standards, Board of Directors, International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV)

Research Interests:

My research interests are focused on maturation of the retina and of the visual pathways in human infants – both in healthy infants, those at high risk. Current research projects include studies of retinal development in prematurity, the impact of prenatal drug exposure on vision, and an international prospective study of infants with optic nerve hypoplasia.
My clinical research expertise includes strategies for diagnosis and monitoring using electroretinography (ERG) visual evoked potentials (VEP) and optical brain imaging with functional near infra red spectroscopy (fNIRS). Additional research interests include in the development of specific protocols to optimise theses techniques for specific applications of such as recording of short latency evoked potentials and responses to motion and flicker.

Teaching Interests:

Module Leader : Shared Care and Co-management of Ocular Disease for Optometrists: Optometry Year 4. Topics include diagnosis and management of anterior eye disease, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, cataract and refractive surgery and special diagnostic techniques.
Organiser and clinical supervisor of Specialty Clinics:
Vision Clinic for people with learning disabilities and complex needs. Clinics, Optometry year 4.
Infant Vision Clinic, Optometry Year 4.
Other teaching: General Optometry Clinics, Optometry 4, Ocular Anatomy and Physiology (retina lectures) Optometry year 1

Recent Publications:

Wijeakumar, S.; Shahani, U.; McCulloch, D.L.; Simpson, W.A.; (2012) Neural and vascular responses to fused binocular stimuli: A VEP and fNIRS study. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 53(9):5881-588.
Wijeakumar, S.; Shahani, U.; Simpson, W.A.; McCulloch, D.L.; (2012) Localization of hemodynamic responses to simple visual stimulation: an fNIRS study. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 53(4):2266-2273.
Hood, D.C.; Bach, M.; Brigell, M.; Keating, D.; Kondo, M.; Lyons, J.S.; Marmor, M.F.; McCulloch, D.L.; Palmowski-Wolfe, A.M.; (2012) ISCEV standard for clinical multifocal electroretinography (mfERG)(2011 edition). Documenta Ophthalmologica. 124(1):1-13. DOI: 10.1007/s10633-011-9296-8
Mactier, H.; McCulloch, D.L.; Hamilton, R.; Galloway, P.; Bradnam, M.S.; Young, D.; Lavy, T.; Farrell, L.; Weaver, L.T.; (2012) Vitamin A Supplementation Improves Retinal Function in Infants at Risk of Retinopathy of Prematurity. The Journal of Pediatrics, Volume 160, Issue 6, June 2012, Pages 954–959.e1.
McCulloch, D.L.; Loffler, G.; Colquhoun, K.; Bruce, N.; Dutton, G.N.; Bach, M.; (2011) The effects of visual degradation on face discrimination. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 31(3): 240–248. DOI: 10.1111/j.1475-1313.2011.00828.x
Nicol, D.S.; Hamilton, R.; Shahani, U.; McCulloch, D.L.; (2011) Monocular and binocular steady-state flicker VEPs: frequency-response functions to sinusoidal and square-wave luminance modulation Documenta ophthalmologica, 122(1):63-70.
McGlone, L.; Mactier, H.; Hamilton, R.; Bradnam, M.S.; Boulton, R.; Borland, W.; Hepburn, M.; McCulloch, D.L.; (2008) Visual evoked potentials in infants exposed to methadone in utero. Archives of disease in childhood, 93(9):84-786.
Marmor, M.F.; Brigell, M.G.; McCulloch, D.L.; Westall, C.A.; Bach, M.; (2011) ISCEV standard for clinical electro-oculography (2010 update). Documenta ophthalmologica. 122(1).

For a complete list see: http://scholar.google.co.uk/citations?user=zbwj9k0AAAAJ&hl=en

Recent Funding:

Chief Scientists Office, Biomedical and Therapeutics Research Committee, the Scottish Office, Department of Health (2006-2010) “Clinical Trial: Does additional vitamin A supplementation improve retinal function and conjunctival health in very low birth weight infants” Co-principal investigators: H Mactier, DL McCulloch, RE Hamilton. MS Bradnam, T Galloway, T Lavy, B Holland, MJ Doughty, LT Weaver (£151,700)
The Royal Society of Edinburgh - International Exchange Program 2011 “Neuroimaging in children”. Exchange visitor Prof Margot Taylor
The Carnegie Trust, Carnegie Vacation Scholarship (2011) “Validation studies for iPad based Visual Acuity Assessment” for G Panasar with N Northway, A Simmers and I Livingstone
Directorate of Optometric Continuing Education and Training (DOCET) 2010. “Management of Contact Lenses, Dry Eye and the Ocular Surface” Grant Reference D 12609 Aug-Nov 2010
The Herald Society, Partnership Award for an outstanding example of collaboration in the public or voluntary sector (2010) – Bridge to Vision: eye examinations for people with a learning disability. Collaborators RNIB & Optometry Scotland.
Yorkhill Children’s Foundation research grant - Infant visual development following maternal drug misuse – follow-up study at 6-months of age. McGlone L (PI), MacKinnon J, McCulloch DL, Hamilton R, Bradnam MS. 04/09-10/10 (£9,625)

Current Senior Research Fellow / project:

Dr Gen Hanazoto, “Electroretinography in the zebra fish model”
Current Director of Studies for PhD students / projects:
Abdlsaed Al Abdlseaed, “Clinical electrophysiology of retinal and sub cortical function”. with Dr R. Hamilton, Royal Hospital for Sick Children
Michelle McIntosh, Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) of the primary visual cortex in adults and neonates.
Lesley Farrell (PT), “Additional Vitamin A and retinal Maturation in Preterm Infants.” With Dr H. Mactier, Princes Royal Maternity Hospital.
Rakesh K Raghopathy, “Measures of retinal structure and function in the Zebrafish model of X-linked Retinitis Pigmentosa.” with Dr X Shu.
Additional supervisor for current PhD students:
Andrew J Logan, “The design and validation of clinical tests of face perception.” with Drs G Loffler and G Gordon from Oct 2012.

Collaborations:

Within Glasgow there is a very active, informal, interdisciplinary network of people with research interests in children’s vision, paediatric ophthalmology and clinical electrophysiology of vision. My key collaborators within this group include:
Dr Helen Mactier, Consultant neonatologist, Princess Royal Maternity Unit, Glasgow Caledonian University
Prof Gordon Dutton, Professor emeritus. Glasgow Caledonian University
Dr Ruth Hamilton, Senior Clinical Physicist, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill and University of Glasgow, Department of Clinical Physics
Dr Laura McGlone, Neonatologist, Greater Glasgow NHS
My long-term interest in optic nerve hyopolasia is based on my collaboration with Dr Mark S. Borchert, MD http://www.doctorsofusc.com/doctor/bio/view/72495 and his team at Children's Hospital Los Angeles. The signal processing aspects of the project are in collaboration with Dr AC Fisher - Consultant Clinical Physicist, Royal Liverpool University Hospital http://www.liv.ac.uk/clineng/contact/fisher_ac.htm

Research Alumni:

Former Post Doctoral Fellows

2007-08 Dr Caroline Chaplin, “International collaborative project (CHLA/GCU): Retinal Ganglion Cell Function in Infants with Optic Nerve Hypoplasia (ONH). [Private practice Huntley, Scotland]
2003-06 Dr. Julie Calvert, “Assessment of Contrast sensitivity in infants and children with Neurological impairment.” (with V Manahilov, GN Dutton, MS Bradnam & R Hamilton)
2001-03 Dr. Ross Henderson, "Assessing the ability to detect changes by normal and special populations". Glasgow Caledonian University (with Dr. H. Orbach). http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ross-henderson/4b/ab8/440
1994-96 Dr. Andrew Herbert, "Lifespan Changes in Visual Event Related Potentials", Glasgow Caledonian University (with Dr. E. Brodie). Professor, Chair, Dept of Psychology, Rochester Institute of Technology http://www.rit.edu/cla/psychology/faculty.htm
1993-94 Dr. Kathryn J. Saunders, "Visual Function in Children with Neurological Disabilities." Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Yorkhill, Glasgow. [Reader in Vision Science, University of Ulster http://biomed.science.ulster.ac.uk/Saunders-Kathryn-Dr.html#page=background ]

Completed PhD Supervisions

Dr Sobanawirthany Wijeakumar, “Exploring neurovascular responses in the brain to visual stimulation” PhD 2012 supervised with Dr U. Shahani. [Post doctoral research fellow, Child Imaging Laboratory in Developmental Science (CHILDS), University of Iowa]
Dr David S. Nicol, “VEPs to motion, flicker and stereoscopic stimuli in amplyopia”. Ph D 2007. [Private practice Oban, Scotland]
Dr Caroline A. Chaplin, "Maturation of the Photopic ERG" PhD 2006. [Private practice Huntley, Scotland]
Dr Cari A. Malcolm, “Maternal DHA Supplementation and Fetal and Infant Visual Development”. GCU PhD 2002. [Lecturer, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, University of Stirling.] http://www.linkedin.com/pub/cari-malcolm/36/bb6/146
Dr Kelleyanne Findlay, "Letter Recognition and Categorical Perception." with Dr V Manahilov, GCU, 2001.
Dr Ross M. Henderson, "Visual Event-Related Potentials in Normal and Abnormal Development." GCU PhD 2000. http://www.linkedin.com/pub/ross-henderson/4b/ab8/440
Dr Gael E. Gordon, "Maturation of Magnocellular and Parvocellular Visual Pathways" GCU PhD 1998. [Lecturer at GCU]
Dr Ashley J. Shepherd, "Visual Development in High and Low Risk Premature Infants". GCU PhD 1998. [Senior Lecturer, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, University of Stirling. http://www.nm.stir.ac.uk/people/ashley-shepherd.php ]
Riosin T. Mackie, "Assessment of Visual Function in Multiply Handicapped Children", GCU PhD, 1995. [Private practice Glasgow, Scotland]

External Examiner Cardiff University, BSc(hons) Undergraduate Programme in Optometry. 09/ 2002- 09/2005

Recent PhD examinations:

Naveen K Challa, University of Bradford, “An electrophysiological study of chromatic processing in the human visual cortex.” 04/2011
Camilla M Magnussen, Glasgow Caledonian University, “Anisotropic behaviour when judging shapes in motion” 12/2011
Petar Mihaylov, Glasgow Caledonian University, “Investigation of long-range interactions in the human visual system.” 01/2011
Michael Khiara, The Open University, “Neurocognitive impairment following central nervous system infections in kenyan children as detected by event related potentials.” 05/2008.
Jennifer Chumski, Cardiff Univerisity, “Electrophysiological studies of retinal function at low light levels in patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus." 09/2007

Other Interests:

Glasgow Western Masters Swimming: http://www.glasgowwesternmasters.co.uk/ ,
open water swimming