Smartphone eye care for people in Africa
Official title: Overcome the barriers of vision care in Africa using smartphones
Funded at Schepens Eye Research Institute · NIH-11167728 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will create and use smartphone tools to help people across Africa get easier, earlier eye checks and care.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Schepens Eye Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $313,856 |
| NIH project number | 5R33EY034345-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11167728 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are people in African communities with limited access to eye care, including those with vision concerns or who are willing to have smartphone-based screening.
✕Less likely to help
People who already have nearby full ophthalmology services, who cannot access a smartphone at all, or whose eye problems require immediate in-person surgery may not get direct benefit from participation.
What this research studies
From your point of view, researchers will build phone-based apps and camera methods that can take pictures of eyes and guide basic vision checks. They will work with local clinics and health workers to try these tools in real communities and train people to use them. The team will compare the phone results with regular eye exams to make sure they are accurate and safe. They may also use telemedicine links so specialists can read images and advise on next steps.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could make it much easier for people in underserved African communities to get early detection of vision problems and faster referrals for treatment.
How similar studies have gone: Related programs using smartphone photos and tele-ophthalmology have shown promise for screening and referral, though wide-scale, locally adapted deployment across diverse African settings is still limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Schepens Eye Research Institute
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Luo, Gang — Schepens Eye Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Luo, Gang
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.