Glasgow Caledonian University -PhD Research Project Opportunity
Please note that as this project is not funded by a University studentship, the successful candidate will be required to
source external funding for the research degree fees and living expenses while studying at the university.
Project Reference number

A reference number will be allocated once the project is accepted for
promotion on the website. Leave blank for now.
Institute
Institute for Applied Health
Research
Institute
 Institute for Applied Health Research
Research groups
-Managing and Living with LongTerm Conditions
Research Themes

Managing and Living with Long Term Conditions
‘’Diabetes and biomedical
Science’’,
Research Groups
‘’Applied vision research’’,

Applied Vision Research
Research Discipline areas

Research Theme –if relevant


migraine, work productivity, visual discomfort, visual stress, vision
science, developmental neurophysiological conditions, quality of life,
cost benefit analysis
Managing long term conditions
Visual neuroscience
1
‘’Musculoskeletal health’’
‘‘Stroke Rehabilitation’’
Promoting and Protecting Health
and Wellbeing
‘‘Healthy ageing’’,
‘‘Anticipatory care’’ (e.g. Active
Living/Substance Use
Misuse/Parenting/Pain/Selfmanagement)
‘’Infection prevention and
control’’ (e.g. Blood borne viruses,
Sexual Health, Health Care
Acquired Infection)
Yunus Centre
Other- give details

Technological Methods for Health and Wellbeing
Project Title

Tints, lighting and visual discomfort
Research Project Area

Visual discomfort and headaches associated with VDU use and
modern lighting are widely documented and account for employee
work absences and low productivity. In addition demands placed on
employers to provide safe working environments are common in
order to avoid visual discomfort. Coloured lenses have been
advocated to treat visual discomfort and perceptual symptoms in
conditions such as migraine, autism, dyslexia multiple sclerosis, and
chronic fatigue syndrome and have also been prescribed to help
visual discomfort associated with VDU and or modern lighting.
However the physical properties of different lighting conditions, and
the spectrum of the light, change the nature of the visual experience
in modern working environments and this has not been fully
investigated.

The aim of this project is to investigate the physical and optical
properties of colour and lighting and develop understanding of how
different lighting conditions affect visual performance. In addition,
how specialised coloured lenses should be varied – if at all – according
to lighting conditions remains unanswered.

The project will improve current understanding of visual discomfort in
a range of life long conditions and how the environment we work in
can affect health and wellbeing. This work has economic implications
for employers, employees and healthcare
Supervisory Team
Director of Studies
Dr Glyn Walsh ,Senior Lecturer
Department of Life Sciences SHLS
Applied Vision Research, IAHR
http://www.gcu.ac.uk/hls/staff/drglynwalsh/
Dr Nadia Northway, Senior Lecturer
Department of Life Sciences SHLS
Applied Vision Research, IAHR
Staff Contact
Dr Glyn Walsh, Senior Lecturer
Department of Life Sciences SHLS
Tel +441413313390 Email: n.northway@gcu.ac.uk a.
2
3