Flaum Eye Institute is recognized internationally as a center for dry eye research. Teams of clinicians and scientists from the Eye Institute and other departments and centers are working together to study and define the mechanical properties of the ocular surface and tear film.

This approach has led to the development of unique sensing devices that can simultaneously and non-invasively measure what is happening on the surface of the living eye in real time. This sophisticated equipment is housed in a special laboratory where factors that influence dry eye can be altered to simulate different environments.

These data gathered by this instrumentation is being used by researchers for the following purposes:

• Develop a concrete method for defining dry eye disease and its severity
• Study the properties of the human tear film as it relates to diseases that cause dry eye, such as Sjogren's syndrome
• Provide a clearer framework for understanding how medications used to treat other eye diseases affect the ocular surface
• Predict and quantify how surgical procedures may impact the tear film
• Create a physiologic marker for dry eye disease that also relates directly to patient symptoms of blurry vision and poor performance on visual tasks
• Assess the effectiveness of prescription and non-prescription therapies used in the treatment of dry eye

Vital to this research is the involvement of clinical trials which allow us to safely and ethically develop a better understanding of a disease that affects so many and is especially becoming more prevalent due to aging and changing environments.