Dr. Jimmy Uddin and Dr. Mohsan Malik win at Innovate Thyroid Eye Disease 2024 Symposium

Innovative Research on Thyroid Eye Disease

In a notable achievement at the Innovate Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) 2024 Multidisciplinary Symposium, Dr. Jimmy Uddin and Dr. Mohsan Malik, renowned ophthalmologists, secured best poster prize for their groundbreaking poster presentation titled “Development of Novel Objective Outcomes in Thyroid’s Eye Disease.” Their research promises to significantly enhance the understanding and treatment of Thyroid Eye Disease (TED), a complex and debilitating condition. In particular it will be the best and most objective way to measure eyelid and ocular parameters in any ophthalmic and neurological condition.

Revolutionizing TED Diagnosis and Treatment

Thyroid Eye Disease, also known as Graves’ Orbitopathy, is an autoimmune inflammatory disorder affecting the orbit around the eye, leading to symptoms such as bulging eyes, double vision, and in severe cases, vision loss. Despite advancements in treatment, there remains a critical need for objective, reliable outcome measures to better diagnose and monitor the disease’s progression and response to therapy.
 
Dr. Uddin and Dr. Malik’s award-winning poster introduces innovative objective outcomes that can be precisely measured, providing clinicians with robust tools to evaluate TED more effectively. Their research incorporates advanced imaging techniques and novel biomarkers, which together offer a more accurate assessment of disease activity and treatment efficacy.
 

Significance of Their Work

The introduction of these novel objective outcomes addresses several key challenges in the management of TED. Traditionally, assessment of TED has relied heavily on subjective clinical evaluation and patient-reported symptoms, which can vary significantly. Dr. Uddin and Dr. Malik’s approach aims to standardize with objective and quantifiable evaluation process, making it more reproducible and less dependent on individual clinician experience.
 
Their findings suggest that these new measures can detect and quantify subtle changes in disease activity earlier than traditional methods, potentially leading to more timely interventions and improved patient outcomes. Additionally, the use of objective metrics is expected to enhance clinical trials by providing clear, quantifiable endpoints, thereby accelerating the development of new therapies.

 

Methods: BulbiCAM & BulbiHub

The technology, both hardware and software, was provided by Bulbitech. Their neural network approach enables automated segmentation and mapping of key periocular aspects to assess eyelid function. Their model can automate the evaluation of eyelids to show objective, reproducible measurements of essential lid and ocular function, utilised in clinical practice. Based on valuable clinical input Bulbitech has also developed novel dynamic measures of eyelid function (e.g., velocity and lid acceleration), which provide further insights into an underlying pathological state and patient presentation.
 
Further work is required to determine the sensitivities of longitudinal assessment.
 

Future Directions and Impact

Dr. Uddin and Dr. Malik’s research is set to pave the way for further studies and collaborations aimed at refining and validating these novel outcomes. Their work exemplifies the innovative spirit needed to tackle the complexities of autoimmune diseases like TED.