Annually, the American Academy of Optometry gives a prestigious award to authors of the most important paper published in Optometry and Vision Science in the preceding five years. This year, the academy has bestowed the Garland W. Clay Award to a team of researchers studying the effectiveness of CooperVision MiSight® 1 day contact lenses in slowing the progression of myopia in children aged eight to twelve. According to a press release published on 5^th November, the authors of the winning paper, titled “A 3-Year Randomized Clinical Trial of MiSight® Lenses for Myopia Control”, include Paul Chamberlain, BSc (Hons.), Sofia C. Peixoto-De-Matos, MSc, Nicola S. Logan, PhD, Cheryl Ngo, MBBS, MMed, Deborah Jones, BSc, FAAO and Graeme Young, PhD, FAAO.

 The editorial board grants the said award based upon criteria including the number of citations in the world scientific literature, impact of vision science, value to the practice of optometry, and relevance to the mission of the Academy. The paper has been cited over 70 times according to Clarivate’s Web of Science and is the most cited paper in Optometry and Vision Science since 2016.

“Clinical trial results provide strong evidence that it is possible to slow ocular growth that causes worsening myopia. Research into myopia control is rapidly evolving and effective treatments could do more than improve vision, they may also help lower lifelong risks for glaucoma, retinal detachments, and other degenerative eye conditions,” said Optometry and Vision Science Editor in Chief Michael Twa, OD, PhD, FAAO.

The study, a randomized double-masked clinical trial, demonstrated the effectiveness of the contact lenses in reducing the rate of myopia progression in children aged eight to twelve, at the initiation of treatment, by 59% on average over a three-year period.

“Our team is grateful to the Optometry and Vision Science Editorial Board and the American Academy of Optometry for recognizing our work. It is very satisfying to know that our research in myopia control is helping age-appropriate children and their parents around the world. And it is truly an honor to be associated with the other pioneering papers that have previously received this distinction,” said CooperVision Director of Research Programs Paul Chamberlain, BSc (Hons.).

Chamberlain and team accepted the award at the American Academy of Optometry’s Meeting in Boston on Thursday, 4 Nov. The paper is available online via Open Access.