Josie Evans, specialist optometrist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, and Research Fellow, Dr Bethany Higgins, share how City’s Crabb Lab has supported their careers in research.
By Mr Shamim Quadir (Senior Communications Officer), Published
The Crabb Lab at City, University of London aims to understand, diagnose and monitor eye disease in order to improve patient services and outcomes. The lab’s focus is on the measurement of vision to achieve its goals.
Led by David Crabb, Professor of Statistics and Vision Research, the Crabb Lab team is a mixture of researchers from the fields of optometry, psychology, mathematics, health economics and computer science.
The lab has a world-renowned reputation for the development of early career researchers and collaboration with researchers and clinicians from other eye care institutions.
Visiting researcher, Josie Evans
Josie Evans is an Association of Optometrists (AOP) Councillor and specialist optometrist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London.
Last year, she received Higher Education Innovation Funding (HEIF) to conduct research at the Crabb Lab, under the direct supervision of Research Fellow, Giovanni Montesano.
Government’s UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) awards HEIF to higher education institutions based on a strong track record of knowledge-based interactions with the wider world, which result in benefits to the economy and society.

Josie’s research project, ‘integration of structural data into perimetric examinations,’ involved the development of a user interface to integrate detailed images of the light sensitive part of the eye (the retina) into tests of patients’ central and peripheral vision (also known as visual field testing, or perimetry).
She presented her research at the 24th International Imaging and Perimetry Symposium in California, winning the IPS Heidelberg Young Researchers Award with a prize of $5,000 towards her research.
Speaking of her experience at the Crabb Lab, Josie said:
Research Fellow, Dr Bethany Higgins
Dr Bethany Elora Higgins is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Crabb Lab, having previously completed her PhD at the lab from 2018 to 2021. Her doctoral thesis focused on measuring dark adaptation of the retina in people with the eye disease, Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD).
In January, Dr Higgins was interviewed by the European Platform of Women Scientists as its ‘Woman Scientist of Month’ – celebrating women recognised by the scientific community for their achievements, and who are also concerned by the gender-equality goals of the platform.

During her interview, Dr Higgins commented on the importance of the support she has received from the Crabb Lab. She said in part:
Dr Higgins’ current work spans research at City, University College London and Anglia Ruskin University, including into Charles Bonnet Syndrome – the experience of visual hallucinations caused by the brain’s response to sight loss.
Reflecting on these recent achievements at the Crabb Lab, and the importance of supporting early career researchers, Professor David Crabb said:
