She is Principal Investigator of the Ireland Eye Study (IES) and the Child Eye Health Longitudinal Study, large-scale population-based studies examining refractive development, biometric growth, and environmental exposures in Irish children. These studies provide normative biometric data and inform public health screening and prevention strategies.
Dr Harrington is a Co-Investigator on the Health Research Board (HRB)-funded Myopia MAP project, which aims to develop risk-stratification models and practical screening pathways to support early detection and management of myopia in primary care. She is also Co-Investigator on the Environmental Protection Agency-funded Blu-RAY project, investigating real-world light exposure patterns and their influence on child refractive development and wellbeing.
She served as senior author on two commissioned papers that informed the 2024 U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) consensus report on myopia, and she is a World Council of Optometry Ambassador for the Myopia Management Navigator. She leads the Myopia SIG for the European Academy of Optometry and Optics. Her work integrates epidemiology, clinical optics, environmental exposure science, and health systems research to advance prevention-focused, equitable, and evidence-based approaches to myopia control across Europe.