INSIGHT
Research type
Research Database
IRAS ID
358448
Contact name
Pearse Keane
Contact email
Research summary
INSIGHT: The Health Data Research Hub for Eye Health
REC name
West of Scotland REC 4
REC reference
25/WS/0087
Date of REC Opinion
11 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion
Data collection arrangements
33.1) INSIGHT: The Health Data Research Hub for Eye Health was established in 2020 as a first-of-its-kind for routinely collected, anonymised high-dimensional eye-imaging data from the major ocular diseases impacting blindness and through ‘Oculomics’ the application of these imaging modalities utilising biomarkers to provide insights into systemic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and dementia, or in common vernacular – the idea of the ‘eye as a window to the body’s health’.
33.2) Data is collected from patients at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust based on individual patient records, including ophthalmic imaging, electrodiagnosis, visual fields and other clinical data captured in graphical format.
33.3) INSIGHT has increased in prominence as the largest global bioresource for eye imaging and clinical data, comprising some 35 million images. The Hub has optimised research and development activities under a renewed strategic plan consistent with our core founding strategic mission to improve healthcare for the benefit of patients, the NHS and wider society by enabling safe, efficient and ethical access to anonymised eye health data for research and innovation.
Research programme
INSIGHT: For the benefit of patients, the NHS and wider society 33.4) INSIGHT gathers routinely collected patient data from hospital services within the NHS to build a holistic data-record combining routine systemic and eye health data with unparalleled high-order retinal imaging centred on patient benefit. Since 2020, INSIGHT has contributed to accelerating research into sight-threatening diseases and other serious systemic conditions by enabling secure access to anonymised datasets. INSIGHT's Data Use Register comprises projects that have successfully applied for data to INSIGHT, with research users drawn from multiple sectors, including charities, academia, the NHS, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, and global pharma and technology industries. 33.5) INSIGHT reaches across the domains of 'Discovery | Innovation | Care'. Through 'Discovery' – INSIGHT grants trusted researchers access to unrivalled datasets for research and to develop AI-enabled diagnostic tools for earlier detection of eye disease and systemic disease. Through 'Innovation' – INSIGHT collaborates with multisector partners with complementary expertise to transform research discoveries into real-world solutions. Through 'Care' – INSIGHT aims to realise quicker and faster diagnosis and treatment for patients with sight loss and systemic disease.
Research database title
INSIGHT: The Health Data Research Hub for Eye Health
Establishment organisation
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Establishment organisation address
INSIGHT Hub Programme, Moorfields Research & Development
162, City Road
London
EC1V 2PD