Visiting academic staff

Professor McDermott was awarded her PhD in Biochemistry by the University of London, Imperial College in 1991 then went on to conduct post-doctoral research at Cornell University, McMaster University and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She joined the faculty of the University of Houston, College of Optometry in 1998, where she remained for almost two decades teaching optometry students, supervising graduate students and carrying out research on ocular surface wound healing, inflammation, infection and immunity. In 2017 she returned to her native UK where she is now a Professor at Northumbria University. Here she teaches immunology and pathology to biomedical science students and continues her research on the ocular surface in health and disease. She is an active member of several optometric societies including the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society, the International Society for Contact Lens Research and is a Fellow of the British Contact Lens Association. She also sits on the editorial board of Eye and Contact Lens, reviews papers for many journals and evaluates grants for several national and international funding agencies.

Professor Serge Resnikoff MD, PhD, is an international expert and consultant in global public health, ophthalmology, and eye health. He teaches in Paris and London. He is also the Chair of the International Myopia Institute board, the Chair of Our Children’s Vision advisory board and the President and Chair of Organisation pour la Prévention de la Cécité (OPC), an organization developing eye care in francophone Africa.

From 2008 to 2010 he served as CEO of Thea, a European pharmaceutical group, specializing in the research, development, and commercialization of eye care products. From 2004 to 2008, he co-ordinated various World Health Organization (WHO) programmes aiming to prevent and manage non-communicable diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular, respiratory, genetic, ear and eye diseases.

From 1999 until 2004, he led the WHO Programme for the Prevention of Blindness and Deafness, which aimed to make essential eye and ear care available to all. Since joining WHO in 1995, he has developed public health strategies and contributed to global partnerships such as VISION 2020, involving governments, academic institutions, non-governmental organizations and private sector groups. Before this, he worked for 14 years in developing countries, mainly in sub-Saharan Africa.

With a PhD from Paris University, an MD from Bordeaux University, and post-graduate degrees in ophthalmology, tropical medicine, air and space medicine, public health, epidemiology, and biostatistics, he has published over 200 refereed articles and book chapters.

He has won several international awards and received two honorary doctorates.

Dr. Asbell is committed to the goal of “improving sight and empowering lives” through contributions to education and mentoring, clinical and translational research, patient medical and surgical care and innovative academic collaboration. Her education includes a B.S. in biochemistry (University of Chicago), M.D. (SUNY Buffalo), M.B.A. (Baruch College), E.L.A.M. (Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine Program, Drexel University), and professional training includes internship in internal medicine at Yale University, ophthalmology residency and a fellowship in uveitis/immunology at NYU and a fellowship at LSU in cornea. She is boardcertified in ophthalmology and licensed to practice in New York, California, and Tennessee. Dr. Asbell has held diverse leadership positions, including tenured academic professorships at the Icahn School of Medicine (Mount Sinai) in New York, and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis and has been interim chair in New York and chair in Tennessee and Director of the Hamilton Eye Institute at UTHSC and held numerous positions on various strategic committees at both institutions. Dr. Asbell has served in many professional societies, including President of CLAO/ ECLA, Women in Ophthalmology, Editor in Chief of ECLA journal, inaugural editor of Cornea Section for AAO Eyewiki and ad hoc reviewer for all the major ophthalmology journals as well as other world-renowned journals, including Nature, Lancet and JAMA, and a frequent member of NEI review panels.

A principal part of her career has been the mentoring of more than a hundred medical students, residents and fellows from North America and Europe and Asia and directing them into productive and innovative careers in practice and academia, contributing to education and new research. She is an active participant in medical missions, on the Board of the Hawaiian Eye Foundation; she often ensures that a resident or two can join her on these global opportunities to serve patients, enhance local education for sustained quality care and learn about health care challenges outside the USA.

Dr Constantinos Petsoglou is a Cornea Subspecialist at the Sydney Eye Hospital. He is a Senior Lecturer in the Discipline of Clinical Ophthalmology for the University of Sydney and is coordinator of the distance learning Masters degree programme in ophthalmic basic sciences. He completed a Cornea fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital under Mr John Dart and worked at Moorfields as a consultant between 2008-2011. He is also Deputy Director of the Lions NSW Eye Bank and has research interest into eye banking, corneal neovascularization, herpetic eye disease and postgraduate medical education. 

Dr.Murat Dogru is the first academician from the whole continental Europe to acquire a Japanese Medical License to practice in the field of Ophthalmology. Dr. Murat Dogru is an internationally recognized expert in ocular surface disorders, dry eyes, ocular allergy and ocular inflammation. He conducts both basic and translational research in the field of corneal and ocular surface inflammation and oxidative stress. He studies the molecular and cellular mechanisms of ocular inflammation with applications to autoimmunity, dry eye disease, contact lens wear and ocular allergy.

An executive board member of the international Tear film and Ocular Surface Society, Asia Dry Eye Society and Japan Dry Eye Research Society,and  a fellow of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), he has authored more than 230 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and has presented more than 200 invited and named lectures worldwide. His published work has been read and cited more than 8,200 times. Dr. Dogru’s research has led to several successful grant applications to the Japanese Ministry of Health and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science where he was registered as an official researcher of Japan in 2002. His research is also supported by several continual industry grants. Dr. Dogru has trained several clinical fellows, postdoctoral fellows and students in Turkey and in Japan over 8 countries to date, the significant majority achieving full-time academic positions in ophthalmology and vision research in their respective countries. Dr. Murat Dogru currently is a practicing ophthalmologist and a researcher with a research laboratory in Keio University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

A/Professor Qian Garrett is the Director of Research Office, the University of Notre Dame Australia, exercising leadership in all matters involving research; responsible for the development of research culture, oversight of higher degree by research student training, and building research partnerships.

A/Professor Garrett has over 20 years of experience in biomedical research and product development. She has led many successful high-impact projects on research and commercialisation of technology in therapeutics and biomedical devices for prevention and treatment of ocular wounds/defects and dry eyes, and for vision correction.

A/Professor Garrett is a Senior Visiting Fellow of the SOVS. She has supervised 20 research (doctoral and honours) students in the fields of ocular wound healing, dry eyes, physiology of the ocular surface, biocompatibility and comfort wear of contact lenses. A/Professor Garrett has secured over $2.5M of external funding as a lead investigator. She has led and co-authored more than 70 publications (book chapters, journal articles, patents and conference papers).

A/Professor Garrett completed her Ph.D. at the Graduate School of Biomedical Engineering, UNSW Australia. She was a Wellcome Trust Research Fellow at the Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UK). She was a Japanese Science & Technology Agency Research Fellow at the Takasaki Radiation Chemistry Research Establishment, Japan. Prior to joining the University of Notre Dame Australia, A/Professor Garrett was a Senior Research Fellow and Manager of the Biological Sciences at the Brien Holden Vision Institute, and the Research Development and Program Coordinator at the Centre for Oncology Education and Research Translation, Australia.

Bio to follow

Md. Salequl Islam is a current Faculty Professor at the Department of Microbiology, Jahangirnagar University, Bangladesh. He earned his B.Sc and M.S in Microbiology from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Mr. Islam began his research career at the Immunology Unit of ICDDR,B in 2003 with Dr Firdausi Qadri. Then he transitioned to academia at Jahangirnagar University. He moved to studying HIV pathogenesis, obtaining his PhD from Gunma University, Japan in 2011.

Professor Salequl Islam was awarded a postdoctoral fellowship sponsored by International AIDS Society and National Institute on Drug Abuse (IAS-NIDA 2012) to study at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, USA, between 2013-2015. Subsequently, the Interfaculty Council for Development Cooperation of the Katholieke University (KU Leuven), Belgium, awarded him a short visiting research fellowship in 2017. He worked there in the Virology and Chemotherapy laboratory at the Rega Institute focusing the discovery of antiviral drugs and assessing their potency, potential toxicity and pharmakokinetics. Dr. Islam is a Gold Medal Awardee (Biological Sciences, Junior Group) of Bangladesh Academy of Sciences (BAS, 2016). Currently, he leads research projects under the One Health Platform at Jahangirnagar University. Dr. Islam is the author of more than 60 scientific articles published in reputed peer-reviewed international journals.

Bio to follow

Following completion of her initial degrees equivalent to the Doctor in Veterinary Medicine and a PhD equivalent in Genetics in Austria, Dr. Zangerl established her early research career in the US investigating various aspects of inherited and complex eye disorders ranging from the molecular basis and disease pathogenesis to the development of therapy and improvement of clinical diagnosis.

After her relocation to Australia, Dr. Zangerl shifted her focus to the integrating of basic research findings into multidisciplinary clinical practice. She implemented several projects seeking to understand the development and changes of sensory systems, specifically the visual system over time and with disease, foremost glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, and consolidated her research and medical knowledge to develop optimised eye health care service models.

More recently, Dr. Zangerl furthered her clinical expertise through the completion of a Master of Nursing degree at the University of Sydney and has been working as a Registered Nurse at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital focusing on cardiovascular health and diabetes. She maintains a research interest in collaboration with the University of New South Wales to identify new clinical markers to enable early detection and intervention for chronic eye diseases as well as diabetes related complications and implement such knowledge within collaborative care models.

Bio to follow

Dr Debarun Dutta is a visiting fellow of the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales Australia and a lecturer at the Optometry School at Aston University UK. Dr Dutta is also a council member of BCLA and works as a consultant for ophthalmic industry partners.

Dr Dutta worked as a Research and Senior Research Fellow at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales for almost five years, where his research was focused on the validation of antimicrobial contact lenses and biomaterials, ocular surface and tear film research. Debarun completed his PhD from Brien Holden Vision Institute, and University of New South Wales, Sydney with Professor Mark Willcox in 2014. His PhD was based on the development of antimicrobial contact lenses which received various grants including the prestigious Ezell Fellowship from the American Academy of Optometry. Following completion of Bachelor of Optometry, Dr Dutta pursued a one-year clinical fellowship at the L V Prasad Eye Institute, India. Debarun worked as a clinician and contact lens consultant at the L V Prasad Eye Institute for two years.

At Aston, he leads the Contact Lens course and heads the undergraduate Optometry admission for application and processing. Dr Dutta’s research team include research fellows, PhD and Doctor of Optometry students focused on the contact lens and dry eye research: Anterior ocular surface and tear film, tear lipid layer, and ocular comfort. Debarun is also interested in contact lens-related adverse events: Particularly infiltrative events, development of novel antimicrobial agents, antimicrobial peptides, mechanism and activity of antimicrobial peptides, and aetiology of development of keratitis.

Hiroaki graduated from Yamagata University with a Bachelor of Engineering in 2016. Since graduating, Hiroaki has entered the Innovative Flex Course for Frontier Organic Systems which is a 5-year doctoral course program at Yamagata University in 2017. He has been employed as a young research fellow at the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science since 2019. He has won several awards from Vision Society of Japan and Yamagata University. His research interests are in the areas of the image features for material perception (e.g. glossiness, translucency) and the interaction between self-motion perception and surface qualities.

My research area focused on corneal bioengineering, bioink development and investigations on etiology of corneal diseases. Our research has identified key pathways involved in keratoconus, two novel bioink for corneal wound healing and a medical device for treating corneal ulceration and perforation. Our research team is continually working on finding the causes of corneal diseases, developing novel interventions to prevent and treat blindness.

I am based at Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney. I am also the co-founder of Australia Corneal Bioengineering Working Group; member of the University of Wollongong 3D printing work shop, and working committee member of ANZ Human Eye Cell Atlas Consortium.

An alumnus of UNSW Katie Zhukov was a Research Fellow at the University of Queensland School of Music for 11 years, where she developed evidence-based pedagogical approaches for enhancing music sight-reading skills. Her publications demonstrate a strong record of interdisciplinary approach across music education, psychology and science, and include topics such as eye movement during music sight-reading, performance anxiety, skills for classical music careers, innovative approaches to teaching of music sight-reading, and teaching and learning in the studio setting, including gender issues. Zhukov has published 18 journal articles in high impact international journals such as Journal of Eye Movement Research, Music & Science, Musicae Scientiae, Psychology of Music, Medical Problems of Performing Artists, International Journal of Music Education, British Journal of Music Education, Music Education Research, Research Studies in Music Education, Teaching and Teacher Education, Australian Journal of Music Education, and also four book chapters.

Katie will continue her research into eye movement during music and text reading at the School of Optometry and Vision Science in collaboration with Associate Professor Sieu Khuu.

Dr Louise Wiles is a Research Fellow whose work focuses on the provision of safe and appropriate healthcare, and exploring novel ways (such as e-health) to implement health initiatives. Louise graduated with a Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours 1) from the University of South Australia in 2000, after which she worked clinically as a physiotherapist for over 10 years in both public and private sectors. In 2013, Louise completed her PhD which used bibliometric and interview methods to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the evidence-base underpinning research published in a range of nursing and allied health professional journals in Australia. Continuing her work around quality and evidence-based practice in healthcare, Louise’s work on the recently concluded CareTrack Kids project (NHMRC Partnership Grant APP 1065898) saw the development, testing, evaluation and analysis of over 450 quality indicators that were applied in a large-scale medical record audit of nearly 7000 Australian children. Louise was Project Manager for a study (“STANDING Collaboration”) within the NHMRC Program Grant Creating safe, effective systems of care: The translational challenge (APP1054146), which explored stakeholder perspectives on clinical practice guidelines through qualitative interviews, pilot tested a new method for developing clinical practice guidelines, and evaluated the process using multimethod analyses. Her current projects include CareTrack Aged (NHMRC Project Grant APP1143223) which will assess the appropriateness of residents’ care and their quality of life in Australian residential aged care facilities, and the development and pilot testing of an e-health self-management intervention for people recovering from breast cancer with ongoing pain.

Dr Waleed Alghamdi is an Optometrist, Assistant professor and Head of the optometry department at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia. Dr Alghamdi completed his undergraduate optometry training at King Saudi University, Riyadh before he pursed his Masters and PhD in optometry at the School of Optometry & Vision Science, UNSW, Sydney. His research interests mainly focus on dry eye disease and associated changes on ocular surface, tear film and adnexa, particularly with contact lens wear.

Dr. Barbara Caffery graduated from the New England College of Optometry in 1977. In 2009, she completed her PhD programme in Vision Science at the University of Waterloo upon defending her thesis entitled Sjogren’s Syndrome: A Clinical and Biochemical Analysis. Dr. Caffery practices at Toronto Eye Care in downtown Toronto and also participates in two hospital-based clinics, the University Health Network Multi-Disciplinary Sjogren’s Syndrome Clinic, and the Therapeutic Contact Lens Clinic at Kensington Eye Institute. She has published widely in the area of dry eye disease. She has participated in several TFOS initiatives including DEWS I and II, Contact Lens Discomfort and Lifestyle Workshop. She has served on the Board of the American Academy of Optometry for sixteen years and currently serves as the immediate past president.

Bio to follow

Huy Tran MD. PhD. is a Lecturer of Ophthalmology, at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC); Head of Myopia Program at Hai Yen Eye Care Vietnam; Investigational Site Manager of Brien Holden Vision Institute and Visiting Fellow at  UNSW, Sydney, Australia.

He was awarded his medical degree at Pham Ngoc Thach Medical University in 2009; completed the residency training and master of science in Ophthalmology at University of Medicine and Pharmacy at HCMC in 2013 and PhD degree in Vision Science at UNSW Sydney in 2022. He is currently focusing on a myopia management program in Vietnam and running clinical trials to investigate myopia control treatments for children with myopia.

In 2021 he was appointed as the Asia-Pacific Regional Ambassador of International Myopia Institute. In 2023 UNSW School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Medicine and Health featured Dr Tran as an alumni profile.

Dr. Huy Tran has nearly 20 scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and has delivered more than fifteen podium presentations at national and international meetings.

His research interests include the strategies of myopia control treatment, both optical and pharmaceutical interventions.

Professor Padmaja Sankaridurg is Head, Myopia Program and Head, Intellectual Property Manager at the Brien Holden Vision Institute and Conjoint Professor at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, Sydney, Australia.  

She was awarded her B.Opt degree from the Elite School of Optometry, Chennai, India in 1989, PhD in 1999 from the University of New South Wales, Australia and a Masters in Intellectual Property in 2012 from University of Technology, Australia. Professor Sankaridurg has been researching myopia for over a decade and her interests are strategies to slow myopia as well as refractive error development.  Professor Sankaridurg participated as an expert at the WHO-BHVI global meeting of myopia, 2015 and is an advisory board member and also a member of the Interventions and Harmonisation Committee, International Myopia Institute. Vision Monday named her as one of the “Women of Influence in Optical Industry Innovator section” for 2018.  Professor Sankaridurg has over 80 articles in peer reviewed journals, is a co-inventor on many patents/applications, has authored several book chapters, supervised MSc and PhD students to completion and has delivered many podium presentations at national and international meetings. Her research interests include  myopia onset and progression, strategies to control myopia and economic burden of myopia.

Bio to follow

Currently the Chief Scientist and Innovation Officer at the Brien Holden Vision Institute Limited (BHVI), in addition to an appointment as Visiting Professorial Fellow at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW, Arthur Ho is also a Voluntary Professor of Ophthalmology at the Miller’s School of Medicine, University of Miami, Miami, FL, USA, and Adjunct Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL, USA.

Arthur's early participation in the development of the first high-precision optical pachometer (the “Holden-Payor pachometer”) which paved the way to understanding the oxygen needs of the contact lens-wearing eye, developed in Arthur the philosophy that new scientific knowledge and discoveries are often facilitated by development of new technology. Thus he maintains a focus on the development of innovative devices and instrumentation for research. This emphasis on device and technology development sees Arthur named as an inventor on over 70 issued patents and additionally over 80 pending applications.  Arthur has published over 110 peer-reviewed articles and is an editor of 20 conference proceedings.

While his areas of interest in optometric research is broad, Arthur’s current research focus is in myopia and presbyopia and particularly in understanding the opto-mechanical characteristics of the accommodation system and developing vision correction systems for controlling myopia progression.

Associate Professor Andrew White B.Med.Sci(Hons) MBBS PhD FRANZCO is a clinician scientist ophthalmologist at Westmead Hospital. His subspecialty interest is glaucoma. He was awarded First Class Honours in Medical Science in 1995 and a combined MBBS/PhD degree in 2002 from the University of Sydney. He also undertook research work at the Max Plank Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Gottingen, Germany and the State University of New York (SUNY) and the University of Cambridge. He is a consultant ophthalmologist and Head of Department at Westmead Hospital in Sydney as well as private practice. He has research affiliations with the University of Sydney at both the Save Sight Institute and Westmead Institute for Medical Research where he runs a laboratory developing new treatments for glaucoma.

Dr Rohit C Khanna has completed Residency in Ophthalmology from the Government Medical College, Nagpur and completed a Comprehensive Fellowship at L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI). Subsequently, he did a Masters in Community Eye Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and a Masters in Public Health from The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. He is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, USA and Senior Visiting Fellow at the University of New South Wales, Australia.

His clinical areas of interest are cataract and glaucoma. Apart from his clinical responsibility, he is also involved in Public Health training and research. He is the Course Convenor for the Diploma and Masters program in Community Eye Health programs and was involved in designing the Masters Program in Community Eye Health, in collaboration with the University of New South Wales (UNSW). In research, he is involved with outcomes of different interventions as well as Geriatric and Child Eye Health and has published extensively in this area. He is on the Editorial Board of several journals too. He is a member on numerous Working Groups for the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). He was involved in capacity building of different hospitals and Institutes, both nationally and internationally. He has also worked on various consulting projects, for many National and International Organizations, including IAPB and WHO. He is recipient of several grants and awards too.

Thomas started his career at the LV Prasad Eye Institute as a biostatistician. After moving to Australia, he completed his PhD in clinical epidemiology and biostatistics in 2003. His research was on the statistical modelling of corneal infiltrative events associated with contact lens wear. Currently at the Brien Holden Vision Institute, his work focusses on statistical modelling of ocular events, ocular comfort and myopia progression. He has contributed significantly to design and analysis of large population based studies such as Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease study, National contact lens penetrance study in Australia and NZ, several myopia progression trials in China and cross sectional surveys in south-east Asia. He is currently co-investigator of myopia multi-ethnic study. He has co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in the ocular and contact lens field. Beyond statistical analysis, he designed and managed the development of a comprehensive data management system for optometry research, which is currently used in Australia, China, Vietnam and India.

Dr Daniel Yu Cui received his MBBS in China from School of Ophthalmology and Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University. He continued his ophthalmic residency at Xinhua Hospital, Jiaotong University, Shanghai, specializing in pediatric ophthalmology.

In 2002, Dr Cui joined the Faculty of Pacific University College of Optometry (PUCO), Oregon, USA, as a Teaching Fellow. In 2004, Dr Cui accepted Adjunct Assistant Professor and obtained his MScin Clinical Optometry from the PUCO. Since 2008, Dr. Cui joined International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE) for consulting Essilor Varilux Academy and other optometry development programs in Asia. In 2010, Dr Cui involved in establishing Brien Holden Vision Institute in China and worked as the Director of Education. Dr Cui was awarded his PhD in 2012 at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, where he conducted innovative research into evaluating the vision‐related quality of life in children with intellectual disabilities. Since 2015, Dr Cui has accepted an executive position in Xuyong Eye Hospital Group, the leading centre for eye disease treatment and blindness prevention in north-western China, in addition to the Head of Optometric Development and Research Centre in Ordos, China.

As a researcher and educator, Dr Cui involves intensively in optometry development in East Asia and his research findings have been published in several peer reviewed journals. His current research areas include epidemiology studies in myopia control and outcome researches in children’s vision.

Dr Simon Chen is an Ophthalmologist with expertise in retinal and cataract surgery. He practices at Vision Eye Institute, Sydney, and is a Conjoint Senior Lecturer at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales.

He graduated in Medicine and Surgery from the University of London, then trained in Ophthalmology at the teaching hospitals of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, UK and completed Vitreoretinal Surgery fellowships at the Oxford Eye Hospital and Lions Eye Institute, Australia.

Dr Chen has been a principal investigator for numerous international clinical trials of novel treatments for retinal disease. He has over 35 publications in peer-reviewed international medical journals and over 30 articles in the non-peer reviewed medical literature covering various aspects of retinal disease and cataract surgery. He is an expert in modern treatments for age related macular degeneration, sutureless retinal surgery, complex cataract surgery and was the first surgeon in the world to perform combined laser cataract surgery and vitreoretinal surgery.

Srinivas Marmamula received his initial optometry training at L V Prasad Eye Institute and then completed his Masters in Community Eye Health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, with a joint sponsorship from the Department for International Development (DFID - UK), British Council for Prevention of Blindness (Boulter Award), and LVPEI. In 2011, he completed his PhD from the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW, Sydney with support from Vision CRC, Australia. Dr Marmamula undertook his post-doctoral research fellowship (2012-2013) with Dr David Friedman at Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, USA. He was the Chief Optometrist for LVPEI’s landmark studies, Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study (APEDS, 1996 – 2000), and Refractive Error Study in Children (2000) supported by the National Eye Institute and World Health Organization. Currently he is a co-investigator for the follow-up of Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study (APEDS III). He is also the faculty for the Master in Community Eye Health course offered at GPR ICARE, and for the BS Optometry course offered at Bausch and Lomb School of Optometry.

Dr Marmamula is the recipient of the prestigious Wellcome trust / DBT India Alliance Early career Fellowship (2015), for a research project on visual impairment in elderly populations. He has also received many international travel grants and has participated as faculty in many workshops in India and abroad. He has over 50 publications to his credit in peer reviewed journals. His areas of interest include: epidemiology of visual impairment, refractive errors, presbyopia and training personnel for community eye care, eye health in elderly and vulnerable populations.

Dr Nina Tahhan is an Optometrist (PhD, MPH, B.Optom) and Conjoint Lecturer at UNSW with a broad range of professional experience including; public health and epidemiological research, health economic research, development and delivery of eye care educational programs and clinical supervision, scientific writing, professional marketing with industry, clinical research management in contact lenses including Orthokeratology research.  Nina also has a history of delivering optometry services and eye care education in disadvantaged communities around Australia and in developing countries including; Sri Lanka, Mongolia, India and Aboriginal communities in the Kimberly, Arnhem land, the Tiwi islands and in remote areas of NSW with the Royal Flying Doctor service. Nina has presented and published research findings at numerous international and domestic conferences and in peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed journals.

Dr. Durgasri Jaisankar is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the Brien Holden Vision Institute Limited (BHVI), in addition to a conjoint lecturer appointment at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW. At BHVI, Durgasri specializes in ophthalmic lens product development for the correction and treatment of refractive errors. She obtained her PhD in Optometry and Vision Science from the Queensland University of Technology in 2021. Her PhD work focused on evaluation of peripheral ocular optics and visual performance.

Durgasri completed her bachelor’s degree in optometry at Elite School of Optometry in India in 2014. Following this, she worked as a clinical optometrist and research fellow in the department of vitreoretinal diseases at the Medical Research Foundation, Sankara Nethralaya, Chennai, India. Throughout her academic and professional career, Durgasri has published 22 peer-reviewed articles.

Lyndon Jones is a Professor at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, Distinguished University Professor and Director of the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) at the University of Waterloo. His research interests primarily focus on the interaction of novel and existing contact lens materials with the ocular environment, dry eye and the development of novel materials for ocular drug delivery. He has authored over 450 refereed and professional papers, one text-book and given over 1000 invited lectures at conferences worldwide, in over 40 countries.

Bio to follow

Dr. Fingeret is a Clinical Professor at the State University of New York, College of Optometry and a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. Dr. Fingeret was induced into the National Optometry Hall of Fame in 2019 and sits on the Board of Directors of the Glaucoma Foundation. He is a member of the American Glaucoma Society, the American Optometric Association, and the National Academies of Practice. Dr. Fingeret is a founding member and past president of the Optometric Glaucoma Society and currently the president of the Optometric Glaucoma Foundation. 

He is the recipient of the 2013 Vincent Ellerbrock Clinician Educator Award from the American Academy of Optometry, 2008 Distinguished Service Award Optometric Glaucoma Society, 2005 Carel C. Koch Memorial Medal from the American Academy of Optometry, 1999 AMSUS Federal Service Optometrist of the Year award and 1996 Otsuka Glaucoma Educators Award from the American Academy of Optometry. 

Dr. Fingeret sits on the editorial boards for the Journal of Glaucoma, International Glaucoma Review, Glaucoma Today, and Primary Care Optometry News and has authored numerous articles and co-authored the texts "Atlas of Primary Eyecare Procedures" and "Primary Care of the Glaucomas".

Peter A. Simmons, Ph.D. is an Adjunct Professor in the School of Optometry and Vision Science, Faculty of Science at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. He is also an independent research consultant within the field of Ocular Surface Disease. He recently retired from Allergan, where he held the post of Executive Director of Clinical Development within the Research and Development organization, leading research groups to develop and test new dry eye treatments. Dr. Simmons was at Allergan from 2000 to 2017, and is an inventor of multiple patents, and the author of more than 40 research articles. Prior to Allergan, he was a Professor at the Southern California College Optometry (Fullerton, California USA), and has also been a Visiting Professor at the Glasgow Caledonian University (Glasgow, Scotland, U.K.). Dr. Simmons received his Ph.D. in Physiology from Yale University (New Haven, Connecticut) in 1980, and completed post-doctoral training at Washington University (St. Louis, Missouri, USA).

Philip Morgan is Professor of Optometry, Head of Optometry, Deputy Head of the Division of Pharmacy and Optometry, and Director of Eurolens Research at The University of Manchester.  He is also Adjunct Professor at UNSW Sydney.  His main research interests relate to the clinical performance of contact lenses and he teaches on the same subject area at undergraduate and postgraduate level.  He has managed an annual international survey of contact lens prescribing trends since 1996.

Philip is President of both the International Association of Contact Lens Educators and the Manchester Statistical Society, and is Immediate Past President of the International Society for Contact Lens Research.  He is an honorary member of the UK Association of Contact Lens Manufacturers, a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and the British Contact Lens Association, and a member of the UK College of Optometrists.  Philip was the BCLA Medallist in 2014, BCLA Pioneer’s Lecturer in 2015 and the winner of the 2019 Max Schapero Award of the American Academy of Optometry. He is a past chairman and secretary of the Northern Optometric Society in Manchester, and is the co-ordinator of the UK optometry electronic mail forum.  He has authored over 200 papers, primarily relating to the clinical performance of contact lenses and the nature of the UK and international contact lens markets, and has spoken about his work in more than 30 countries worldwide.

Bio to follow

Craig Woods, Conjoint Professor, School of Optometry, University of New South Wales and is currently Manager of R&D at the Brien Holden Vision Institute, the Executive Manager of Educational Development for the International Association of Contact Lens Educators, Vice President of the International Society for Contact Lens Research and a member of the editorial boards for both the Contact Lens & Anterior Eye and Eye & Contact Lens journals. Graduated as an Optometrist from The City University (London, UK), awarded his PhD while at Eurolens Research (UMIST, Manchester, UK) and gained his graduate certificate in Ocular Therapeutics from the University of Melbourne. Authored over 180 refereed and professional papers and text-book chapters in related fields to Ocular dryness and contact lenses. In 2019 he was awarded Contact Lens Educator of the Year (Asia) by the International Association of Contact Lens Educators.

Alex Hui is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the School of Optometry and Vision Science at UNSW Sydney, and Head of Biosciences at the Centre for Ocular Research and Education, School of Optometry & Vision Science, University of Waterloo. An author on more than 30 peer reviewed and non-peer reviewed publications, two book chapters and a recipient of the UNSW Vice Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence, he is a regular invited speaker worldwide, including in Australia, Canada and the USA. His research and teaching interests include contact lenses, drug delivery, myopia control and ocular therapeutics.

Carol obtained her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Sydney in 1971, and after a 5 year Post-Doctoral period in Microbiology she built a research and teaching career in the Medical Sciences.  She has always been interested in the applied aspects of her scientific research, interspersing periods in Academia with some in Industry, including a small Australian start-up Diagnostics company.  In 1992, through a chance meeting with Brien Holden, she began to focus her attention on the biology of the anterior eye, and contact lenses.  Carol has worked in R & D for two contact lens companies in the US, Cibavision, now ALCON (6 years) and more recently CooperVision (11 years), where she has contributed to areas of contact lens comfort, biocompatibility of materials and additives and the minimization of adverse events.   She is best known for her scientific contributions on the composition of tears; in health, in various physiological states and in disease.  During her career Carol has published over 40 research papers, 2 book chapters, successfully supervised 18 post-graduate students, given a number of invited presentations at Research Symposia, and is a named inventor on several issued patents and patent applications.  She is currently on the Editorial Board of Nutrition Research, and a frequent reviewer for IOVS, Eye and Contact Lens and Optometry and Vision Science.

Craig has over 25 years of experience in healthcare, pharmaceuticals and medical devices in Australia and Asia, previously holding senior positions at Allergan (Director Sales and Marketing) and Bausch & Lomb (Managing Director and VP Commercial Operations, Asia-Pacific). Craig is also a seasoned operator in a public company environment having served as CEO and Managing Director at Vision Group Holdings Ltd, a former ASX listed company (now privately held). Craig joined Device Technologies in 2014 and is the Executive General Manager responsible for the ophthalmic business units including medical devices and capital equipment, Healthcorp a leading RTO, and technical services and support shared service. Craig also sits on the School of Optometry and Vision Science Visiting Committee and is also on the Board of the Medical Technology Association of Australia.

A/Prof. Elvis K. Tiburu obtained his PhD from Miami University specializing in Biophysics in 2004.  He then went to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Institutes of Medicine in Boston, USA to pursue postdoctoral training in experimental medicine. After three years at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, he joined the Center for Drug Discovery, Northeastern University as an Assistant Research Professor. His responsibility at the time was to investigate the structure of G-protein coupled receptors and identify key binding sites for drug discovery purposes to treat drug abuse patients. He was a Visiting Scholar in 2012 at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, sponsored by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. During his stint as Visiting Scholar, he helped developed Graduate programs in the School of Engineering Sciences. After six months in Ghana, he returned to the USA and was later invited to join the faculty at the Department of Biomedical Engineering to help develop young talents in the field. He served for two terms as the Chair  at the Department of Biomedical Engineering in Ghana. Prof.  Tiburu uses combined approach including Physical Chemistry, Spectroscopy, biophysics and Biochemistry to address fundamental health problems. His group is developing 'Bioactive Zeolites' and other biological interface materials using nanotechnology principles for drug delivery. He also conduct research on prosthetic materials. He is a Mentor of young PhDs under the Global health Consortium, National Institutes of Health. Prof . Tiburu is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the Science and Development Journal in University of Ghana.

Associate Professor Judith Flanagan obtained her BSc (Hons) from Sydney University majoring in Genetics and Biochemistry. She then worked in California as part of the International Human Genome Project that delivered the first complete human genome. Returning to Sydney, Judith completed her PhD at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research focussing on the molecular biology of human steroid receptors, and took up a Postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California at Berkeley where she fell in love with environmental microbiology. Following on from her Postdoc, Judith took up an Assistant Professorship at the University of California, San Francisco where she was able to combine her research experience of both human medical research and environmental research in modelling the ecosystems of human disease.

In 2007 she returned to Sydney to take up the position of Scientific Writer for the Brien Holden Vision Institute Ltd. and in 2015 she moved back into research, heading up the Ocular Comfort Program.

Judith currently consults for Vision CRC, USA and is a deputy editor for the Medical Journal of Australia. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed publications, two book chapters, and numerous trade journal articles. Judith also has a Diploma in Science Education and is a certified editor through the Board of Editors in the Life Sciences (BELS).

Dr Ravi C Bakaraju is the founder and chairman of nthalmic.

Over the years, Dr Bakaraju has co-authored 40+ peer-reviewed scientific manuscripts in the areas of visual optics, optical modelling techniques, presbyopic contact lenses, peripheral refraction, model eyes and general ophthalmic instrumentation. Dr Bakaraju is a lead inventor on several pending patents on vision correction platforms. He has also co-authored about 65+ scientific abstracts. Dr Bakaraju regularly presents at national and international venues.

Dr Bakaraju has been a recipient of numerous international awards for his research accomplishments; which include the notable American Optometric Foundation’s William Ezell Fellowship in 2009; runner-up for 3M Eureka Prize for Emerging Leader in Science in 2014; and the prestigious Irvin M. and Beatrice Borish outstanding young scientist award from the American Academy of Optometry in 2015. He was awarded a distinguished certificate of recognition for outstanding achievements by the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute Alumnus in 2016.

Dr Bakaraju is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO), a member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO), a member of Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE), a member of British Contact lens Association (BCLA) and a member of International Society for Contact Lens Research.

Through his conjoint associate professorship at the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, he currently supervises PhD candidates. Dr Bakaraju is a voluntary anonymous reviewer for more than a dozen peer-review high-impact factor scientific journals.

Previously, Dr Bakaraju held senior executive roles at Brien Holden as Head of R&D, where he oversaw all the institute’s translational research projects and innovation activities from 2017 to 2019. The R&D team led by Dr Bakaraju developed innovative vision correction solutions that have translated into multiple commercial products.

Dr Bakaraju was educated at the Birla Institute of Technology and Sciences, Pilani, India (through Bausch & Lomb School of Optometry, L.V. Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad) graduating with a Bachelors in Optometry and Vision Sciences (2006). He topped his class with outstanding CGPA 9.73/10; he later earned a PhD in Optometry and Vision Sciences, working on a dissertation ‘Optical performance presbyopic contact lenses using schematic and physical model eyes’, from the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia in 2010. Following which, he served at the Brien Holden Vision Institute in numerous roles from 2010 to 2019.

Dr Ehrmann is one of the co-founders of nthalmic technologies, a start up company based in Sydney that conducts research and product development in the field of vision correction. As the Director of Technology at nthamic, he is responsible for all technical aspects of R&D, including instrumentation, metrology and implementation of novel optical designs. He also holds a visiting appointment at the University of New South Wales through the School of Optometry and Vision Science. His professional qualifications include a BEng awarded from the Aalen University of Applied Sciences, Germany (1986); an MSc in Machine Design from the Cranfield University, UK (1988) and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of New South Wales (1997).

He has held engineering R&D positions in the USA, Israel, Germany, Australia and the UK. Prior to joining the University of New South Wales for his Doctoral degree, he worked for several years for the National Physical Measurement Laboratory in Germany. In his most recent position at the Brien Holden Vision Institute, Sydney, Australia, Dr Ehrmann had been responsible for instrument development and metrology for more than 20 years. He has received numerous awards for his innovative ideas, has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles, and holds a number of contact lens and instrumentation related patents. His interests concentrate on developing innovative methods and products for vision correction devices, including contact lenses and spectacles, as well as vision related measurements. Dr Ehrmann regularly presents at international conferences and has been invited to speak on topics of translational research, myopia and optical metrology. Through is extensive network within the ophthalmic industry, he remains committed to commercialise novel vision correction devices for the benefit of those in need.

Associate Professor Andrew White B.Med.Sci(Hons) MBBS PhD FRANZCO is a clinician scientist ophthalmologist at Westmead Hospital. His subspecialty interest is glaucoma. He was awarded First Class Honours in Medical Science in 1995 and a combined MBBS/PhD degree in 2002 from the University of Sydney. He also undertook research work at the Max Plank Institute for Biophysical Chemistry, Gottingen, Germany and the State University of New York (SUNY) and the University of Cambridge. He is a consultant ophthalmologist and Head of Department at Westmead Hospital in Sydney as well as private practice. He has research affiliations with the University of Sydney at both the Save Sight Institute and Westmead Institute for Medical Research where he runs a laboratory developing new treatments for glaucoma.

Dr Cecilia Chao is an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney and is currently conducting her post-doctoral work at Tufts Medical Center in Boston USA. She was previously trained as a translational post-doctoral fellow in the State University of New York, College of Optometry with Associate Professor Kathryn Richdale.

Dr Chao's current research in Professor Pedram Hamrah’s lab in Boston focuses on corneal and lacrimal gland conventional dendritic cells morphology and kinetic properties in vivo after environmental dry eye exposure using multi-photon microscopy. She is also investigating the selective blockade of chemokine receptors and/or integrins from HSV-1 primed CD4 T cells on their homing to the cornea, which will lead to the development of the treatment for HSV-1 keratitis. Her other research expertise includes contact lens induced sub-clinical inflammatory responses on the ocular surface, post-LASIK induced neuropathic dry eye, corneal subbasal nerve regeneration and its association with corneal dendritic cells and tear neuropeptides.  

Dr Chao currently co-supervises research projects of PhD students in the fields of corneal antigen-presenting cell using in vivo confocal microscopy and tear cytokines during contact lens wear at UNSW in order to enhance the student experience and maximise learning whilst conducting their research. 

Dr David Alonso-Caneiro is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Optometry and Vision Science at Queensland University of Technology (QUT).

David graduated from the University of Valencia (Spain) with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Telecommunications with First Class Honours in 2002 and a Master of Engineering in Electronics in 2004. In 2007, he joined QUT to start his PhD under the supervision of Professor Robert Iskander and Professor Michael Collins. In 2010, he completed his PhD thesis, “Non-invasive Assessment of Tear Film Surface Quality”, developing the use of a new technique to assess the quality of the tear film. The thesis was awarded the QUT Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award 2010.

David’s current research interests include signal and image processing, especially in the areas of deep learning and biomedical engineering. He aims to develop innovative image processing methods along with novel automated analytical software tools to solve complex clinical problems, and enhance the information and diagnostic capabilities of various clinical devices.

David is committed to establishing a strong track record of publication in high impact top-tier journals. To date his research work has published over 50 peer reviewed publications as well as 20 conference papers.

Donna La Hood graduated from the School of Optometry at the University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia in 1983. Since then she has worked at the Cornea and Contact Lens Research Unit (University of NSW), the Institute for Eye Research, the Cooperative Research Centre for Eye Research and Technology, the Vision Cooperative Research Centre, the Brien Holden Vision Institute and the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of NSW.

Her past research interests included contact lens design, fitting, comfort and parameter evaluation, the corneal edema response and assessment of new lens materials.  Donna has also taken an interest in commercialisation of medical devices including regulatory compliance, becoming an internal auditor for ISO13485 certified institutions.

Donna has also been an educator in many undergraduate, post graduate and continuing education (practitioner) programs domestically and internationally for over 30 years. She has a keen interest in both ‘face-to-face’ and online program development and presentation, including development of innovative educational materials for all program platforms.

She is currently a Project Coordinator at the Brien Holden Vision Institute and an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the School of Optometry and Vision Science at UNSW Sydney

Dr Jim Kokkinakis graduated in 1983 from the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of NSW.  He is primarily a clinician with special interests in customisation of contact lenses for corneal disease and myopia control.  Other interests include dry eye disease, ocular therapeutics, computer vision syndrome and customisation of complex prescription spectacles. He is the optometric director of The Eye Practice in Sydney’s CBD.

Jim started part-time clinical supervision at the School of Optometry UNSW in 1990, which evolved into lecturing at both an undergraduate and postgraduate level.  In 2011 he was appointed an Adjunct Senior Lecturer.

Between 1996 and 2002 he was a part-time Clinical & Liaison Optometrist for The Eye Institute responsible for its optometric education program in ocular disease and refractive surgery. He also had constant exposure to ocular therapeutics in the clinical setting and fitting contact lenses to complex corneal conditions.

Dr Kokkinakis has been a regular presenter both nationally and internationally to optometrists, ophthalmologists, general practitioners and pharmacists since 1998 and is currently an active member of The International Society of Contact Lens Specialists, The American Academy of Optometry, Optometry Australia, The Cornea & Contact Lens Society of Australia, The Tear Film & Ocular Society of Australia and The International Keratoconus Academy of Eye Care Professionals. 

Bio to follow

Bio to follow

Margaret Lam graduated from the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences at the University of New South Wales in 2001. She started theeyecarecompany in 2005, her practices are across Sydney and Sydney CBD, and her focus is on all aspects of patient eyecare, with a particular focus on specialty contact lenses.

She has extensive experience in specialty contact lens fitting including keratoconus, orthokeratology, and all types of corneal ectasia has been a past recipient of the Neville Fulthorpe Award for Clinical Excellence. 

Margaret works in an independent optometry practice and enjoys her work mentoring and teaching optometry students in all aspects of optometric practice and specialty contact lens fitting.

Margaret is also an Adjunct Senior Lecturer that teaches students in the Undergraduate as well as the Postgraduate Masters degree in Advanced Contact Lenses for the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of New South Wales.

Margaret has also worked in several advisory roles with leading contact lens companies, and writes for the optometry journal mivision and has published articles in Australian Optometry.

Margaret’s practices joined George and Matilda Eyecare in 2017, a network of independent optometry practices and since then, has been working as the Head of Professional Services for George and Matilda Eyecare.

She also currently serves as the National President of the Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia for NSW, the Optometry Board of Councillors in Optometry Australia for NSW/ACT division.

Dr Martin Bucknall is Principal Scientist at the Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility, Mark Wainwright Analytical Centre and Adjunct Senior Lecturer in the School of Optometry and Vision Science at UNSW Sydney. His area of expertise is chromatography and mass spectrometry applied to the detection and quantification of small molecules in biological matrices. He holds a PhD from UNSW (Physiology and Pharmacology, 2007) and a BSc (Physics, 1987) from the University of Manchester (UK). Martin is a Chartered Chemist (MRACI CChem) and author of three book chapters, a patent, 39 peer-reviewed scientific papers and 19 conference papers. Specific projects within our School include development of strategies for the measurement of trace reproductive steroid hormone levels in limited-volume ocular matrices and detection of lipopolysaccharide contamination of contact lenses. Martin also engages in commercial / legal / forensic analytical work and consulting.

Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW.

Dr Boon graduated in optometry and vision science and was awarded her PhD in the electrophysiological and psychophysical development of colour vision from from the University of New South Wales, Sydney. Her postdoctoral research studies were at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, in the prevention of injuries of older people with visual impairment and low vision. Her research areas include the development of objective visual electrophysiology analysis techniques, their relationship with perception, visual perception in the developing (children's vision encompassing amblyopia) and the ageing visual system as well as low vision and visual impairment. Dr Boon is a member of the Optometrists Association Australia, a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. Dr Boon has served as Director of the Optics and Radiometry Laboratory from 2016-2020. She currently serves as a member of the Early Intervention and Prevention working committee of Vision2020 (the Australian peak body for eye and vision care in Australia), Australian Standards and represents Australia on the International Organization for Standardization. 

Paul Gifford was awarded his PhD in 2009 from the Research in Orthokeratology (ROK) group, UNSW for his research investigating novel applications of orthokeratology contact lenses to temporarily mold corneal shape to correct vision. He then completed a post-doctorate with the same group to investigate correction of presbyopia using orthokeratology. Paul’s primary research interest is the visual optics of orthokeratology, particularly in relation to the correction of hyperopia and presbyopia, and use in myopia control. He currently divides his time between continued research with the Research in Orthokeratology group at UNSW, practice based research and consulting to industry on all aspects of contact lens design.

Dr Prakash Paudel is a research officer in the Brien Holden Foundation and an adjunct senior lecturer at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia. He earned his Bachelor of Optometry degree in 2001 from the Institute of Medicine, Tribhuvan University, Nepal and received a PhD degree in Optometry and Vision Science from the University of New South Wales in 2012.

Dr Paudel started his professional career as an optometry lecturer for the undergraduate program in the Tribhuvan University, Nepal serving for more than 6 years. He is also a founder president of Nepalese Association of Optometrists in Nepal. Soon after he started his PhD journey, he joined in the Brien Holden Vision Institute as a part-time research assistant. Later in 2011, after his PhD submission, he started working as a full-time research officer in the Brien Holden Foundation until 2015 and again in 2017-2018. Dr Paudel also worked as a post-doctoral research fellow at the School of Population Health, University of New South Wales in 2015-2016 overseeing a NHMRC research project on infectious diseases.  

Dr Paudel has gained extensive research experience in public health and health service research by managing the projects implemented in Australia, Cambodia, India, Malawi, Nepal, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, and Vietnam. He has published more than 25 peer-reviewed scientific papers in prestigious international journals, and he is also one of main authors on a book chapter about refractive error and school eye health in Southeast Asia. 

Tony Simon completed his B. Optom degree at the University of New South Wales, Sydney Australia in 1969. To further his studies, he attained a B.Sc, Majoring in Psychology from the Australian National University in 1973.

Having moved to London, he studied ocular therapeutics with the NHS, and practised as a locum optometrist. Returning to Sydney in 1974 Tony subsequently established four independent practices on Sydney's north shore. He was in practice until 2015 as a full-time clinical practitioner.

Tony is a foundation member of the Australian Optometric Panel, a professional discussion group, and consultancy to the optical industry. He has been an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at UNSW School of Optometry and Vision Science since 2011 and each year, Tony presents to UNSW final year Optometry students on his designed course titled "Establishing and Managing an Optometry Practice". The course objective is to educate students in understanding business management principles in their chosen profession.

Monica Jong is an Assistant Professor at the Discipline of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia.  She is also a Visiting Fellow of the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW Sydney and a visiting scientist at BHVI Sydney.  Monica is the Executive Manager of the International Myopia Institute, the global consensus group for myopia research and clinical management.  She is also the Secretary of the Refractive Error Working Group in the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness helping to advocate for recognition of uncorrected refractive error as a leading cause of avoidable vision impairment.  Monica’s interests are in understanding the risk factors for myopia developments and clinical management to prevent future vision loss from high myopia related diseases. 

Monica supervises graduate students and has co-authored a number of scientific papers, and also co-developed and presented the first global online interactive myopia management course aimed at practitioners.  Her work also extends to the advocacy of myopia as a public health issue and was the Scientific Secretary of the Joint WHO – BHVI meeting on “The impact of myopia and high myopia” and co-authored the accompanying WHO report. 

Dr Jong received her optometry degree and PhD from the University of Melbourne.  She was also the recipient of the David and Sandra Smith Fellowship which allowed her to pursue her postdoctoral studies in retinal blood flow imaging in Type 2 diabetes at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Toronto. 

Bio to follow

Dr Anthea Burnett has over 10 years’ experience leading international eye health research projects. She has developed and led collaborative research projects in Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, Vietnam, Fiji, Colombia, Malawi and Australia. These projects have investigated equity in eye care, child eye health, the quality of eye health services, affordability of eye health services or the epidemiology of vision impairment. Her research focus is on the synthesis of evidence for researchers, advocacy efforts, service providers and policy makers. Anthea completed her PhD in 2010, which developed and conducted a project that investigated the impact of vision impairment in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Asha Latha Mettla graduated from the Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia; MS (2022), MPhil (2016), MSc (1999), BSc 1995. She is currently the Network Associate Director and Heads the Public Health Research Management and the Compliance to Policy and Process aspects of the Public Health component of L V Prasad Eye Institute. She additionally handles the role of Project Manager for some of the public eye health research projects funded by Wellcome Trust through Queens University, Belfast and by USAID.

Darrin is a Biomedical Engineer who has worked in vision R&D since 2000. Currently he is working as a Senior Technology Associate at nthalmic technologies, a Sydney based R&D start-up aiming to deliver new products and solutions to the broader ophthalmic industry. His role is in engineering design, development and implementation.

He has over 15 years of experience developing software, incorporating wavefront optics, vision testing, optical design, image analysis, database design and integration into his software. Darrin is experienced in mechanical and electronic design including embedded software. He has worked in the research areas of myopia, accommodation, contact lens discomfort and optical performance.

Darrin completed a Master of Biomedical Engineering at UNSW. Prior to working with nthalmic, Darrin has worked as a Senior Technical Officer at the Brien Holden Vision Institute and as an Avionics Engineer at Qantas Airways.

Dr Emma Gibson is an Adjunct Lecturer at the UNSW School of Optometry and Vision Science and is a Senior Lecturer in Optometry at the University of the West of England UK.

Dr Gibson worked as a PhD candidate at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of New South Wales for almost four years where her research focussed on the effects of sex hormones, namely oestrogens and androgens, on the ocular surface and dry eye disease. Emma completed her PhD in December 2018, with Professor Fiona Stapleton and Dr Blanka Golebiowski. Her PhD work included collaborations with Dr Rachel Dear and Associate Professor Elgene Lim at the Kinghorn Cancer Centre Sydney, where they conducted a clinical study looking at the ocular surface effects of aromatase inhibitors (a breast cancer treatment). A large portion of Emma’s research also involved collaborations with the Bioanalytical Mass Spectrometry Facility at UNSW Sydney, with Dr Martin Bucknall, developing methods to measure low concentrations of sex hormones in small sample volumes, such as tears. During her four years at the UNSW, Emma played an active role in the Optometry Clinic, as a dispensing Optometrist and supervising students. She was also involved with teaching many of the undergraduate students in their practical classes across the course.

Emma completed her Bachelor degree in Optometry at Aston University England in 2012, followed by several years of work in Optometry practice in the UK before embarking on her PhD in Sydney. At The University of the West of England Dr Gibson is the Module Lead for the second year Contact lens and Anterior Eye Module in the undergraduate Optometry Programme and is also involved with teaching Binocular Vision. Emma’s research interests include meibomian gland disease, effects of sex hormones on the ocular surface, dry eye, mass spectrometry and ocular effects of breast cancer treatments.

Dr Kirsten Challinor was awarded a PhD in Psychology from Macquarie University in the area of Vision Science. She has conducted post-doctoral research projects in the Neuroscience Research Group, Aston University, UK, and also in the Psychology Department at University of Sussex, UK, investigating how humans perceive motion, and how the brain processes the information it receives from the eye.

From 2011 to 2016, Kirsten worked at the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of New South Wales, teaching visual perception, psychology, statistics, evidence-based practice and research methods. She managed a blended learning project in Medicine- improving supervisor training: including the adaptation of this content for Optometry Supervisors: 

Dr Challinor was a manager for a project improving the use of evidence-based practice in Optometry. See www.eboptometry.com.

Currently Kirsten conducts research and teaches at the Australian Catholic University at the Strathfield Campus in Sydney, Australia.

Her research programme includes:

• Vision Science Projects: which seek to further describe and understand the neural mechanisms by which we perceive our world.
  
• Education Projects: that aim to increase skills and knowledge in evidence based areas using innovative learning and teaching methods for statistics and research methods. 

Her teaching covers the areas of Perception, Cognition and Neuroscience. In 2019 Dr Challinor supervises 3 Honours, 3 Masters and 1 PhD student across UNSW and ACU. For more information see https://www.kirstenchallinor.com/

Dr Terry Ho is a Lecturer at the University of Canberra, an Adjunct Lecturer at the UNSW Sydney, and a Fellow of America Academy of Optometry. His expertise spans evidence-based healthcare, patient-centred outcomes, public health, and vision and ageing research. With 21 peer-reviewed papers, including 18 in 3 years in top journals like Ophthalmology, he's earned 143 citations since 2017. Notable awards include the 2023 Jeff Cheverton Memorial Scholarship and Outstanding Young Alumni Award (Scholarly Achievement) from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He actively contributes as a committee member for the Vision ACTion Seminar, promoting global research exchange and advocating for eye research.

Dr Cathleen Fedtke is Principal Research Scientist at nthalmic, a Sydney-based research and development company that develops innovative vision correction solutions.

She has an appointment as Adjunct Lecturer at the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences at the University of New South Wales. She is also a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO), a member of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) and a voluntary anonymous reviewer for several peer-reviewed scientific journals.  

Dr. Fedtke has several publications in peer reviewed journals, is a co-inventor of patents relating to myopia and instrumentation and has presented at national and international conferences.

Dr Fedtke graduated from the School of Optometry at the University of Applied Sciences in Germany (Aalen) in 2006, before completing her PhD at the Brien Holden Vision Institute and the University of New South Wales in Australia (Sydney) in 2011. Her PhD topic specialised in the development of a clinical instrument that permits measurements of global refraction profiles.

Following her PhD, Dr Fedtke has worked at the Brien Holden Vision Institute, Sydney, and since 2020 at nthalmic, Sydney, where she has been responsible for several research projects that involved the design, optical modelling, prototyping, and clinical feasibility testing of novel ophthalmic lens products for myopia control.

David Pye obtained his Bachelor and Master of Optometry degrees from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and is a Fellow of the Contact Lens Society of Australia. After graduation he worked in clinical practice, as a Tutor in the then Department of Optometry at UNSW, in research, in contact lens manufacturing and as a clinical supervisor in the Department. In 1983 he became the Clinic Director and Contact Lens Lecturer in the School of Optometry at UNSW and was Clinic Director for over 25 years. He was an optometrist at the Sydney Olympics, has been with the Eye Team to Bourke and been involved in the eyecare of patients with diabetes. He was involved in the establishment of the Centre for Eye Health (CFEH) at UNSW and was Deputy Director from 2009 until 2012 when he retired. He has published 50 papers, articles or book chapters, supervised over 80 final year research projects, co-supervised six PhD students, presented at many international and national conferences and is a reviewer for 22 journals. Associate Professor Pye holds a visiting appointment in the School of Optometry and Vision Science at UNSW as an Honorary Associate Professor, and lectures in the VISN1221 and contact lens courses, is a clinic supervisor in the Advanced Contact Lens Clinic in the Optometry Clinic, is the Preceptorship Co-ordinator for years 4 and 5 and is the course authority for OPTM7301. His current research areas include the measurement of intraocular pressure, corneal biomechanics, keratoconus, corneal topography, contact lenses and ocular imaging.

Until recently, I was an Associate Professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School and a Senior Scientist at the Schepens Eye Research Institute (Boston, MA, USA). During my 38 years at those institutions, my research focused on the interrelationships between sex, sex steroids and dry eye disease, as well as on the role of lubricin on the ocular surface. My studies involved basic, clinical, epidemiological and translational aspects and led to authorship on over 260 scientific articles and 15 patents. I was awarded numerous research grants from the National Institutes of Health, and served as a preceptor for 34 postdoctoral fellows. I am also a Founder, recent President, and current Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS), a non-profit organization, which was created to advance the research, literacy, and educational aspects of the scientific field of the tear film and ocular surface throughout the world. Through TFOS I have helped to promote increased international awareness of external eye diseases, enhance governmental funding for tear film and ocular surface research, stimulate the development of therapeutic drugs and diagnostic devices, and influence the design and conduct of clinical trials of novel treatments for ocular surface disorders.

Phil Anderton has been interested in eyes, optics and vision since childhood. This interest was augmented by his first experience at an optometrist in 1964, aged 14, where he was fascinated and converted by personally experiencing the clinical tests used by optometrists to measure vision and optical refraction. He decided to become an optometrist when he put on his first spectacles for myopia and saw the World clearly for the first time. He graduated in Optometry in 1970, completed MSc and PhD degrees and was appointed to the UNSW Optometry staff in 1978. He has published research in the areas of visual ergonomics, retinal physiology and pharmacology, tearfilm rheology and biochemistry, and the socioeconomics of rural healthcare access in Australia. He has served in various capacities advising State and Federal Governments on the Optometry profession, Glaucoma and Rural Eye and Vision Care. He was a foundation member of the Board of the CRC for Eye Rerearch and Technology where he developed an innovative system of postgraduate review. He was responsible for introducing postgraduate education in Ocular Therapeutic prescribing in UNSW Optometry in the 1990s

Charles W McMonnies graduated from the University of New South Wales: BSc (1966), MSc (1970), DSc 2015. He conducted an optometric practice in Sydney (1966-2007) with special interests in contact lenses, dry eye syndromes and children’s vision. He is a member of Council for the International Society of Contact Lens Research and a member, past-president and a Fellow of the Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia. He is a life member of the Cornea and Contact Lens Society of New Zealand.

He is a Board of Management member for the Optometric Vision Research Foundation and a Board member at the Brien Holden Vision Institute.

He was a lecturer, tutor, and clinical supervisor (Bachelor and Master of Optometry degrees School of Optometry and Vision Science, 1969-2000) and is currently an Honorary Professor. He is the author of three books, six text book chapters and 140 scientific and clinical papers.

He has been awarded Fellowship of the Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia, a UNSW Jubilee Medal, the Joseph Lederer Medal, the Keith Woodland Award and the British Contact Lens Society Medal. His current research interests include keratoconus, ocular surface disease, myopia control and glaucoma.

Bob Augusteyn graduated with a PhD in Biochemistry from Queensland University in 1969 and spent three years at the Harkness Eye Institute of Columbia University in New York where he developed his interest in vision science.  He then joined the Biochemistry Department at the University of Melbourne and initiated a comprehensive programme of research into cataract formation and lens biochemistry.

In 1991 he became Director of the National Vision Research Institute where he continued with lens research and also introduced new programmes concerned with the retina. After 11 years he ‘retired’ to return to hands-on laboratory work.

He was part of the team, led by Brien Holden, which established the highly successful Cooperative Research Centre for Eye Research and Technology (CRCERT) and the Vision CRC continuations at the UNSW. He contributed to studies on accommodation and presbyopia and to the training of postgraduate students. He remains an active member of the research team, now within the Brien Holden Vision Institute.

Bob is currently an Adjunct Professor in the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW and a Voluntary Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Miami, USA. He has now been involved in vision science for over 50 years.

He has been recipient of many honours and prizes, most notably the prestigious Kinoshita Lectureship (National Foundation for Eye Research, USA) and the Subramanian Oration (Indian Eye Research Group.

In 2019, Professor Augusteyn was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for his contribution to Vision Science.

Keith Masnick graduated in 1966 with a B. Optom with Honours from the University of New South Wales. In 1966 he carried research into corneal changes under contact lenses while working as the clinical director.During his continued studies (1967-69), he worked at Moorfields Eye Hospital (Haptic Lenses) and Haddasah Hospital in Israel (Facial rehabilitation). Following graduation with a Masters in Optometry in 1970 from UNSW he opened a private practice while working on designing hydrophilic lenses and published a world-first paper on the effects on corneal curvature under hydrophilic lenses. He also co-authored a world-first paper on toric hydrophilic lenses with Professor Brien Holden in 1973 at the same time as he became the second Australian to be awarded the contact lens diploma of the The American Academy of Optometry. From 1974 to 1980 Keith researched and lectured in contact lenses in what became the CCLRU  and, in 1980 having completed an MBA in 1976, set up a course in professional development in the School of Optometry and Vision Science. Keith was a councillor of the NSW OAA 91986- 2003) and was made a life member on retirement from the Council. He has been been president of the Contact Lens Society (1975 and 1984), was the founding chair of the Contact Lens Society diploma and was awarded Distinguished Membership of the CCLSA IN 2004. Keith was co-chair of the World Council of Optometry Legislation Committee from 1992 – 2004 and was Chairman of the NSW Optometric Registration Board (1986 - 2003). In 2003 Keith began a doctorate in health workforce planning and modelling in the UNSW Faculty of Medicine while also lecturing at Ramkhamhaeng University, Bangkok. After completing his Masters of Public Health and his doctorate he lectured in the Faculty of Medicine at UNSW, Sydney and the University of Notre Dame. In 2013 he finished a Master of Arts in International Relations and currently works as a consultant with both the Gates Foundation and the Chinese Government’s Workforce Project finished in Central Africa. He has published and consulted in health system modelling.

Dr Lisa Asper completed her OD degree from Southern California College of Optometry. She worked in private practice in California for seven years before moving to Australia. She received her PhD from UNSW in 2004. Before retiring, she has most recently been a Senior Lecturer and Director of Learning and Teaching at UNSW School of Optometry and Vision Science. Most of her teaching was in the field of binocular vision. Research interests included amblyopia and binocular vision. She is currently an Honorary Senior Lecturer at UNSW Sydney.

Professor Barry Collin graduated in optometry from the Australian College of Optometry in 1954. He entered private practice in 1955 and completed a BSc majoring in pathology in 1956. He commenced part-time teaching at the ACO in 1957 and became a full-time Assistant Lecturer there in 1962. He completed his masters (1966) and doctorate degrees (1970) at the University of Melbourne and was promoted to Lecturer, Senior Lecturer and Reader in the Department of Optometry at the University of Melbourne. Barry Collin was the first optometrist in Australia to commence ‘wet’ research, investigating the response of the cornea to injury, working on mice, rats and rabbits. He was the first optometrist in Victoria to gain the PhD degree and the first in Australia to win a competitive grant from the NH & MRC.

For his research, he was awarded the Shorney Prize in Ophthalmology from the University of Adelaide for the most important three papers published in the field of ophthalmology in 1971; a first by an optometrist. He was also awarded the International Optical League Medal (the forerunner to the World Optometrist of the Year) in 1969, the H Barry Collin Research Medal of the Australian Optometric Association (now Optometry Australia) in 1977 and was granted Honorary Life Membership of both the Australian College of Optometry and the Australian Optometric Association in 1981 for his teaching and research.

In 1982, Barry Collin was appointed Professor of Optometry at the University of New South Wales, where he achieved major advances in restructuring the course to strengthen the ocular disease and ocular pathology components as a prelude to the use of therapeutic drugs and promoting the research capacity of the School of Optometry and Vision Science. The number of peer-reviewed research publications increased from five in 1981 to a peak of 61 in 1986, with a similar increase in abstracts published and competitive research grants. He continued his teaching and research and was awarded a Fulbright Senior Fellowship in 1986 and a Vice-Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence, in 1992. In addition, as a result of his publications in the field of pathology, he was admitted to Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathology (FRCPath) in London and he is still the only optometrist in the world to have achieved this honour.

Professor Collin resigned from the position of Head on the School of Optometry and Vision Science in 1992 after ten years in the position, retired in 1995 and was granted the title of Emeritus Professor by the University of New South Wales. In 1997, he became a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his contributions to teaching and research in the field of optometry in Australia and the Asian-pacific Area.

Professor Collin was Editor of Clinical and Experimental Optometry, one of the top three optometric journals in the world from 1993 to 2018.

After retiring, Professor Collin continued to teach at the University of Melbourne (1995-1999), the University of Auckland (1989-1999) and the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (1999-2013) and do some research. He published 3 books, 4 teaching manuals, 4 chapters in books, 180 papers in peer-reviewed journals and gave over 400 presentations at conferences throughout the world.

Professor Helen Swarbrick gained her optometric qualifications at the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Following eight years in private optometric practice in New Zealand and England, Professor Swarbrick settled in Sydney, taking up a position as Research Optometrist at the Cornea and Contact Lens Research Unit, School of Optometry, UNSW. In 1991 she received her PhD for a thesis on rigid gas-permeable contact lens adherence. In 1995 Dr Swarbrick was appointed to the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW, with responsibility for contact lens education, and was promoted to Professor in 2011. In February 2020 she retired from academia, with award of the title Emeritus Professor in the Faculty of Science, UNSW.

Professor Swarbrick’s primary research interest is the corneal response to orthokeratology for the correction of refractive errors, and its role in myopia progression and control. Between 2004 and 2014, Professor Swarbrick attracted consecutive Linkage Project research grants from the Australian Research Council, to conduct research in various aspects of orthokeratology. This research, in collaboration with industry partners Bausch + Lomb, Capricornia Contact Lens and BE Enterprises, investigated efficacy, mechanisms and safety of orthokeratology, the role of orthokeratology in myopia control, and the visual optics of orthokeratology.

In 2004, Professor Swarbrick was awarded the Rodger Kame Memorial Award by the Global Orthokeratology Symposium in recognition of her innovation and research in the field of orthokeratology.  Professor Swarbrick was presented with the Alan Bott Memorial Award Medal by the New Zealand Optometric Vision Research Foundation in 2011.  More recently, in 2012 Professor Swarbrick was awarded the Don Noack Award by the Orthokeratology Society of Oceania, and the Kenneth W Bell Medal by the Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia, in recognition for her outstanding contributions to corneal and contact lens research and education.  In 2018, she was honoured with the Max Schapero Lecture Award from the American Academy of Optometry (Cornea, Contact Lenses and Refractive Technologies Section).

Professor Swarbrick has published extensively in the scientific literature, and has delivered over 200 presentations at international and national professional and scientific conferences on orthokeratology and other contact lens-related topics.

Research interests

Colour

• Development of colour vision (school age and beyond)
• Clinical examination and psychophysics of colour vision
• Colour metrology

Occupational

• Eye and face protection
• Visual ergonomics and the visual environment
• Lighting
• Occupational and practical issues of colour vision deficients
• Physical optics and the eye

Professor Eric Papas holds degrees in physics and optometry from the UK universities of Birmingham and Manchester respectively. After a period in clinical practice in the Manchester, he spent several years working in research and development within the contact lens industry. In 1992 he moved to Australia to take up the position of Director of Clinical Research at the Cornea and Contact Lens Unit, in the School of Optometry, UNSW, which was the beginning of a continuous academic association with the school. In the years that followed, he was part of the team that, as key components of the CRC for Eye Research & Technology, developed silicone hydrogel contact lenses. After a break during which he travelled extensively around Australia, he completed a PhD at UNSW and was subsequently appointed Executive Director of R&D in the Institute of Eye Research and the Vision CRC; a role that continued with the creation of the Brien Holden Vision Institute. On leaving BHVI in 2015, he was offered and accepted the position of Professor in the School of Optometry. In 2021 he retired from the university with the title of Emeritus Professor, though he continues to be research active through his association with colleagues and students.

The main interests during his research career have been ocular surface physiology and its response during contact lens wear and other conditions. Internationally known as an educator and lecturer, he has received the Max Schapero Award from the American Academy of Optometry and has delivered both the George Nissel Memorial and Pioneer’s lectures to the British Contact Lens Association. Keenly interested in the development of young scientists, his involvement with post graduate education has been continuous and was recently recognized with an Excellence in Postgraduate Supervision Award by UNSW.