A Significant Boost for Children’s Eye Health Research in Ireland
Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin) researcher Dr Síofra Harrington has secured funding from the Health Research Board (HRB) to investigate how everyday light exposure and sleep may influence eye growth and the risk of myopia in children. The award forms part of the HRB’s Investigator-Led Projects (ILP) scheme, which distributed €12 million across 29 investigator-led research projects in its latest round — and has now invested €36.4 million across 91 projects over the past five years.
Known as the CLEAR study — the Child Light Exposure, Axial Length and Refraction Study: How Lighting and Sleep Shape Eye Growth and Myopia Risk — the four-year project will follow Irish children over time to examine how daily light exposure, sleep patterns, and eye development interact. For parents, teachers, and eye care professionals, the findings could reshape how we approach children’s daily routines and visual health. For the Irish research community, the award reinforces TU Dublin’s growing reputation as a centre of excellence in eye research.
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Why Myopia in Children Demands Attention
Myopia, commonly known as short-sightedness, occurs when the eye grows too long from front to back. Light entering the eye then focuses in front of the retina rather than directly on it, producing blurred distance vision. It typically begins in childhood and often progresses through the school years, increasing the need for stronger glasses or contact lenses over time.
A Growing Global and Irish Problem
The scale of the issue is considerable. Researchers estimate that up to half of the world’s population could be myopic by 2050, driven largely by lifestyle changes: more time spent on screens and close-up tasks, and less time outdoors. While the highest prevalence rates have historically been recorded in East and Southeast Asia, European countries — including Ireland — are experiencing steady increases, particularly among school-aged children.
Mild myopia is easily corrected with glasses, but higher levels of short-sightedness carry long-term health risks. People with high myopia face an elevated lifetime risk of serious eye conditions, including retinal detachment, myopic macular degeneration, glaucoma, and earlier onset of cataract. Slowing the progression of myopia in childhood is therefore not simply a matter of convenience — it is a matter of lifelong eye health.
The Missing Piece: Light and Sleep
Evidence from previous studies suggests that spending time outdoors has a protective effect against the onset of myopia, while prolonged near work and screen use are associated with faster progression. More recently, scientists have begun to examine how the intensity and timing of light exposure — and the quality of children’s sleep — might influence the biological signals that regulate eye growth. What remains unclear is exactly how these everyday factors shape the developing eye.
“We are delighted to receive this HRB award for the CLEAR study. Myopia is becoming increasingly common in children, yet we still do not fully understand how everyday light exposure and sleep influence the way their eyes grow. Through CLEAR, we will follow Irish children over time to build the evidence needed to inform healthier environments and help protect children’s vision.”
Dr Síofra Harrington, TU Dublin
How the CLEAR Study Will Investigate Eye Growth
The CLEAR study is a four-year project that will track Irish children over time, combining several complementary strands of measurement to build a detailed picture of how daily habits relate to eye development.
Measuring Axial Length: The Key Indicator of Eye Growth
At the heart of the study is the measurement of axial length — the distance from the front to the back of the eye. Axial length is considered a gold-standard indicator of eye growth, and excessive elongation is the underlying cause of myopia. By measuring axial length repeatedly over several years, researchers can detect subtle changes in eye growth long before they translate into a change in prescription, giving the team a precise and sensitive tool for analysis.
These measurements will be combined with data on children’s light exposure throughout the day and their sleep patterns, allowing the team to examine how these everyday factors interact with eye growth and refraction — the degree of short- or long-sightedness a child develops. The findings aim to generate new evidence that could inform healthier environments for children in homes, schools, and communities across Ireland.
A Multidisciplinary Research Team
The project will be based at the Centre for Eye Research Ireland (CERI) within TU Dublin’s Sustainability and Health Research Hub. Led by Dr Harrington, the multidisciplinary team brings together expertise in optometry, physics, clinical science, and public health.
Co-applicants include Dr George Amarandei, Professor Ian Flitcroft, Professor James Loughman, Dr Steve Meaney, Dr Michael Moore, and Dr Gráinne Scanlon. Collaborators at TU Dublin include Dr Paul Hynds, Sonja Francisco, Dr Megan Doyle, and Eoin Kerin, alongside Professor Kathryn Saunders of Ulster University. The project is further supported by patient and public involvement (PPI) and safeguarding collaborators Shauna Monahan, Gráinne Cotter, and Laura Healy — a structure that ensures the voices of children and families are built into the research from the outset.
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The Researcher Behind the CLEAR Study
Dr Síofra Harrington is a lecturer and clinical supervisor in TU Dublin’s School of Physics, Clinical and Optometric Sciences and a researcher at the Centre for Eye Research Ireland. Her standing in the profession is considerable: she is a Fellow of the Association of Optometrists Ireland (FAOI) and a Fellow of the European Academy of Optometry and Optics (FEAOO), where she leads the Myopia Special Interest Group.
She also serves as Principal Investigator of the Ireland Eye Study, which examined the prevalence of ametropia (refractive errors), amblyopia (lazy eye), and vision impairment among schoolchildren in Ireland. With more than 30 peer-reviewed publications — including numerous first-author and senior-author papers — and a strong record of presenting her work at national and international conferences, Dr Harrington brings precisely the expertise this ambitious study requires.
The HRB’s Commitment to Competitive Health Research
The CLEAR study is one of 29 investigator-led projects selected in the HRB’s latest funding round. Commenting on the awards, HRB Chief Executive Dr Gráinne Gorman said: “The ILP scheme is a core element of the HRB funding portfolio. Through these awards, we are investing in innovative and internationally competitive research that will generate new knowledge to address major health and social care challenges today and into the future.”
Concerned about your child’s eyesight? Schedule a comprehensive eye examination with a registered optometrist — many vision problems in children show no obvious symptoms, and early detection makes a real difference.
What Parents Can Do Now to Support Healthy Eye Growth
While the CLEAR study’s findings will emerge over the coming four years, existing evidence already supports several practical steps parents and caregivers can take:
- Prioritise outdoor time. Aim for roughly two hours of outdoor daylight each day; time outdoors is consistently associated with a lower risk of myopia onset in children.
- Manage screen and near work. Encourage regular breaks from screens and close-up tasks. The “20-20-20” approach — looking at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds every 20 minutes — is a simple habit to build.
- Protect sleep routines. Consistent, adequate sleep supports overall development, and the CLEAR study will clarify its relationship with eye growth specifically.
- Book regular eye examinations. Children should have their eyes tested regularly, even when no problems are apparent. In Ireland, children may be entitled to vision screening and eye tests through HSE services.
- Watch for warning signs. Squinting, sitting very close to the television, holding devices close to the face, frequent headaches, and complaints of blurry distance vision all warrant a prompt examination.
Share your experiences in the comments below — how does your family balance screen time and outdoor play, and what has worked for you?
Why Health Research Funding Matters for Ireland
Awards like this highlight the value of sustained national investment in health research. The HRB’s Investigator-Led Projects scheme supports innovative and internationally competitive research addressing major challenges in health and social care. By funding projects such as CLEAR, the scheme ensures that Irish policy and practice can be guided by robust, home-grown evidence rather than by findings extrapolated from populations in other parts of the world.
The potential implications are broad. Findings from the CLEAR study could inform school design, physical activity policy, screen-time guidance, public health messaging, and clinical practice in optometry. For TU Dublin, the award strengthens the research base at the Centre for Eye Research Ireland and creates opportunities for postgraduate researchers to contribute to an internationally significant project. For prospective students considering careers in optometry and vision science, it demonstrates that Irish universities are actively shaping the evidence base of their future profession.
Follow the CLEAR Study and Stay Informed
The CLEAR study represents a meaningful investment in children’s eye health in Ireland. Over four years, Dr Harrington and her team will generate evidence that could influence how families, schools, and health services approach everything from outdoor play to bedtime routines. As the results emerge, they are likely to inform healthier environments for children and to shape the prevention and management of myopia for years to come.
Explore our related articles for further reading on health research in Ireland, children’s eye health, and study options in optometry and vision science. If you found this news article valuable, share it with parents, teachers, and eye care professionals in your network.
