CHOIR lab

Childhood ocular (eye) inflammatory disorders (uveitis, scleritis, orbital inflammation and optic neuritis) are rare, complex, blinding disorders with significant negative impact on the affected child and their family. Children often have other related immune mediated disorders affecting their musculoskeletal system, kidneys and bowel. These inflammatory eye disorders appear to be growing in incidence and complexity.

CHOIR lab is HIRING in 2025/2026 – look out for updates

CHOIR (childhood ocular inflammation research) lab is undertaking the innovative, collaborative studies needed to deepen our understanding of these rare disorders, and to develop and test interventions needed to improve outcomes. We use primary data collection, secondary datasets, real world clinical data, and quantitative (statistical and machine learning) and qualitative analytical approaches. Patient and public involvement, and a child first and always ethos is embedded in all our work, and we prioritise science communication to lay audiences.

CHOIR lab is supported by grants from the Wellcome Trust, the MRC Medical Research Foundation, and Fight for Sight.

Lola Solebo leads the CHOIR lab

Researchers:

Sonali Dave

Students:

Boyu Chen (Doctoral student)

Sawsan Elsheikh (Doctoral student)

Spankie Lumley (MSc Computer Sciences); Thaw Htut (MSc Computer Sciences); Yaxuan Jiao (MSc Computer Sciences); Shih-Jung Lo (MSc Computer Sciences)

Lab alumni:

Salomey Kellett

Nimesha Mediwaka (iBSc Paeds & Child Health; MBBS student); Ria Sukhija (iBSc Paeds & Child Health; MBBS student)

Collaborators:

Lola is also a member of the UCL Vision and Eye Group

Jugnoo Rahi, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health 

Rosser Lab, UCL Division of Medicine - Dr Lizzy Rosser co-leads the CHOIR Biobank 

Paul Taylor, UCL Institute of Health Research

Chu Lab, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology

Tsui Lab, UCLA

CHOIR Bibliography (full publication list here: Lola Solebo Publications | University College London):

Dave, S., Rahi, J. S., Petrushkin, H., Testi, I., Patel, D. E., & Solebo, A. L. (2025). UVESCREEN1: A randomised feasibility study of imaging-based uveitis screening for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis- Study Protocol. PLOS ONE, 20(2), 12 pages. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0316410

Uthayananthan, P., Tanwar, N., Rahi, J. S., Dick, A. D., & Solebo, A. L. (2025). Imaging-Based Detection of Anterior Chamber Inflammation: A Comparative Diagnostic Accuracy Study. American Journal Of Ophthalmology, 270, 131-139. doi:10.1016/j.ajo.2024.07.018

Solebo, A. L., & Foeldvari, I. (2025). Reducing the risk of visual disability for children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis uveitis through disease surveillance: past and future challenges. Pediatric Rheumatology, 23(1), 5 pages. doi:10.1186/s12969-024-01037-4

Solebo, A. L., Kellett, S., Mcloone, E., Petrushkin, H., Gonzalez-Martin, J., Ashworth, J., . . . Incidence, sociodemographic and presenting clinical features of childhood non-infectious uveitis: findings from the UK national inception cohort study. British Journal Of Ophthalmology, 7 pages. doi:10.1136/bjo-2024-326674

Bellchambers, A., Shu, R., Chu, C. J., Petrushkin, H., & Solebo, A. L. (n.d.). Differentiation of anterior chamber pigment and inflammatory cells using swept-source optical coherence tomography: a cross-sectional study. EYE. doi:10.1038/s41433-025-03697-2

Solebo, A. L., Kellett, S., Tadić, V., Petrushkin, H., Ashworth, J. L., Connor, A. J., . . . Kellett, S. (2024). Inclusive study design to better serve the needs of children and young people with rheumatological conditions. The Lancet Rheumatology. doi:10.1016/s2665-9913(24)00271-6

Kellett, S., Rahi, J. S., & Solebo, A. L. (n.d.). Reducing research participant disparities through use of a co-developed video intervention: A cohort nested pre-post study. Research Methods in Medicine & Health Sciences. doi:10.1177/26320843241296076

Solebo, A. L., Horvat-Gitsels, L., Twomey, C., Wagner, S. K., & Rahi, J. S. (2024). Socioeconomic and demographic patterning of family uptake of a paediatric electronic patient portal innovation. PLOS Digital Health, 3(10). doi:10.1371/journal.pdig.0000496

Chen, B., Solebo, A. L., & Taylor, P. (2024). Advancing Cell Detection in Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomography Images. Retrieved from http://arxiv.org/abs/2406.17577v1

Solebo, A., Kellett, S., Rahi, J., Dick, A., Ashworth, J., Cooper, G., . . . Tadic, V. (2024). Childhood Ocular Inflammation Sensations and Symptoms Reporting Questionnaire (ChOIR-Q): Development and assessment of a paediatric self-report tool. doi:10.1101/2024.04.06.24305169

Solebo, A. L., Bellchambers, A., Kellett, S., Rahi, J. S., & Dick, A. D. (2024). Establishing the Normative Data Set Necessary for Imaging-Based Childhood Uveitis Surveillance: A Cross-Sectional Study. Investigative Opthalmology & Visual Science, 65(1). doi:10.1167/iovs.65.1.9

Kellett, S., Tadic, V., Petrushkin, H., Ashworth, J., Connor, A., McLoone, E., . . . Solebo, A. L. (2024). Supporting positive patient experiences for rare disease care during disruptive times: findings from a national study. Future Rare Diseases, 4(1). doi:10.1080/23995270.2024.2366153

Testi, I., Soomro, T., Pavesio, C., & Solebo, A. L. (2023). Ocular inflammatory events following COVID-19 vaccination: reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions to regulatory authorities in the UK. British Journal of Ophthalmology. doi:10.1136/bjo-2023-324503

Kellett, S., Solebo, A. L., & the Paediatric Ocular Inflammation UNICORN Study Group. (2023). Standardising the structure of routinely collected data for childhood ocular inflammation: a SNOMED-CT mapping project. doi:10.1101/2023.10.25.23297537

Kelly, E., Choi, E. -M., Petrushkin, H., Kellett, S., & Solebo, A. L. (2023). Recognising and managing childhood onset uveitis: a guide for primary care. British Journal of General Practice, 73(735), 475-477. doi:10.3399/bjgp23x735225

Twomey, C., McGonigle, E., & Lola Solebo, A. (2023). Co-creation of a Novel Childhood Onset Rare Disease Self-Care Support Tool. Academic Pediatrics. doi:10.1016/j.acap.2023.09.013

Solebo, A., Hysi, P., Horvat-Gitsels, L., & Rahi, J. (2023). Data saves lives: optimising routinely collected clinical data for rare disease research. Orphanet J Rare Dis. doi:10.1186/s13023-023-02912-1

Chen, B., Solebo, A. L., & Taylor, P. (2023). Automated Image Quality Assessment for Anterior Segment Optical Coherence Tomograph. In 2023 IEEE 20th International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI) Vol. 20. Cartagena, Colombia: IEEE. doi:10.1109/ISBI53787.2023.10230756

Khalil, R., Kellett, S., Petrushkin, H., Twomey, C., Rahi, J., & Solebo, A. L. (2023). Show don’t tell: assessing the impact of co-developed patient information videos in paediatric uveitis. Eye. doi:10.1038/s41433-023-02659-w

Solebo, A. L. (2023). Why Do We Treat? Defining Disease Control in Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis–Associated Uveitis. The Journal of Rheumatology, jrheum.2022-1336. doi:10.3899/jrheum.2022-1336

Testi, I., Brandão-de-Resende, C., De-La-Torre, A., Concha-Del-Rio, L. E., Cheja-Kalb, R., Mahendradas, P., . . . Solebo, A. L. (2023). Ocular Inflammatory Events Following COVID-19 Vaccination in the Paediatric Population: A Multinational Case Series. Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, 1-6. doi:10.1080/09273948.2023.2220782

Petrushkin, H., & Solebo, A. L. (2023). Imaging inflammation in early-onset sarcoidosis: granulomatous anterior uveitis in a 7-year-old girl. The Lancet, 401(10392), 1963. doi:10.1016/s0140-6736(23)00550-0

Solebo, A., Kellett, S., Rahi, J., Pattani, R., Edelsten, C., Dick, A., & Denniston, A. (2022). Development of a nationally agreed core clinical dataset for childhood onset uveitis. Frontiers in Pediatrics. doi:10.3389/fped.2022.881398

Solebo, A. L., Teoh, L., & Rahi, J. S. (2022). The role of screening and surveillance in the detection of childhood vision impairment and blindness in the UK. Archives of Disease in Childhood. doi:10.1136/archdischild-2021-323470

Etherton, K., Rahi, J. S., Petrushkin, H., Dick, A. D., Akbarali, S., Pattani, R., . . . Solebo, A. L. (2022). Quantitative and qualitative assessment of anterior segment optical coherence tomography capture of disease state in childhood anterior uveitis.. British Journal of Ophthalmology. doi:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2021-320448

Narayan, A., Rahi, J., & Solebo, A. (2021). Temporal trends in childhood uveitis: using administrative health data to investigate the impact of health policy and clinical practice. Ocular Immunology and Inflammation.

Akbarali, S., Rahi, J. S., Dick, A. D., Parkash, K., Etherton, K., Edelsten, C., . . . Solebo, A. L. (2021). Imaging based uveitis surveillance in juvenile idiopathic arthritis: feasibility, acceptability and diagnostic performance. Arthritis & Rheumatology. doi:10.1002/art.41530

Solebo, A. L., Rahi, J. S., Edelsten, C., Ashworth, J. L., & Dick, A. D. (2019). Management of paediatric ocular inflammatory disease in the UK: national survey of practice. Eye. doi:10.1038/s41433-019-0518-8

Solebo, A., Keane, P., Rahi, J., barry, R., & Denniston, A. (2019). Under-utilisation of reproducible, child appropriate or patient reported outcome measures in childhood uveitis interventional research. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases. doi:10.1186/s13023-019-1108-3

Solebo, A. L., Rahi, J. S., Dick, A. D., Ramanan, A. V., Ashworth, J., Edelsten, C., & Members of the POIG Uveitis Delphi Group. (2019). Areas of agreement in the management of childhood non-infectious chronic anterior uveitis in the UK. British Journal of Ophthalmology. doi:10.1136/bjophthalmol-2018-313789