Dr Melinda Toomey

Melinda is an optometrist and clinician-researcher with diverse clinical, educational, leadership and research experience across various healthcare settings. She completed her PhD in 2023 at the University of New South Wales and was awarded the Dean’s Award for Top Thesis. Her PhD focused on improving the delivery of evidence-based glaucoma care by optometrists, using implementation science and behavioural theory. Melinda is an experienced mixed-methods researcher with special interests in age-related eye conditions, cognitive impairment, falls in stroke survivors, health services research, Implementation science and public health research. In 2025, Melinda received the Community Engagement and Research Translation Award from The University of Queensland’s School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences for her leadership in engaging the community and translating research findings for consumers, community members, and researchers regarding the Home Hearing and Vision Support Study. Melinda is a senior research clinician at the Surgical, Treatment and Rehabilitation Service (STARS) Education and Research Alliance (Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital), and a visiting fellow at UNSW. Melinda is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry.