A new £4.2m research institute in North East England will use routine eye scans to improve eye health and spot early signs of serious illness.
The Northern Ophthalmic Research and Innovation Institute (NORI) brings together university experts, the NHS, local authorities and industry to use routine eye scans to spot early signs of serious illness.
Durham University is supporting the institute by providing secure computing systems and expert analysis to help researchers safely study large sets of health data.
Camila Caiado is professor in Durham University’s department of mathematical sciences and lead for the university’s involvement in the project.
Caiado said: “By bringing together expertise in health, data and technology, we can help turn everyday eye checks into powerful tools for early detection and prevention, improving lives across the region and beyond.”
NORI will be hosted by the University of Sunderland and will securely link routine eye images with NHS and community health information.
This will help clinicians identify people at higher risk of conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, dementia and stroke.
This approach is especially important in North East England, where people are more likely to experience long-term illness and to be diagnosed later.
NORI is being created in partnership with the University of Sunderland, Sunderland City Council and South Tyneside Council.
It also involves Newcastle University, the vision loss charity Fight for Sight, and a wide network of health, policy and industry partners.
Work is now under way ahead of NORI’s formal launch in summer 2026, aligned with the opening of the new Eye Hospital in Sunderland.
