Visiting academic staff

Bio to follow.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Bio to follow.

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.

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.

Bio to follow.

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.

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.

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.

Mahjabeen Khan completed her PhD in Microbiology and Molecular Biology from UNSW. Due to best performance in research during her PhD by generating impactful output in the form of research publications and was awarded the Brian and Kirby award for research excellence. She pursued her PhD with the prestigious scholarship offered by UNSW in 2016 in School of Optometry and Vision Science (SOVS) and she received scholarship and started her PhD in 2017 where she explored the bacteria P. aeruginosa in causing eye infections in human. The key findings for this bacterium included the clonal relationship between recent and historical isolates where recent isolates acquired many resistance genes which were novel for the eye infections. The outcome of these findings resulted in number of publications in the Q1 and Q2 journals.

Currently she is working as a visiting Research Fellow at SOVS UNSW by engaging in the industry collaborative projects and completed successfully two projects based on the development of novel disinfection systems. Findings of the project based on the UV- based disinfection had been published in the journal Hygiene. Dr Khan is also running number of other projects including genome sequencing of ocular bacteria, development of bacteriophages against ocular bacteria and investigation of ocular microbiome changes due to mask wear.

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.

Bio to follow.

Dr. Madeeha Afzal is Post-doc researcher at Woolcock Institute of Medical Research. She has more than 8 years of experience in Microbiology and Molecular biology laboratory techniques. She also has one year of teaching experience in Medical Microbiology. her passion towards research made her effective researcher. She is keen to learn advanced laboratory techniques and spread that knowledge.

Dr. Madeeha Afzal was awarded her PhD in early 2023 for her work in "Determining the pathogenic traits of Staphylococcus aureus associated with keratitis" by using different molecular techniques and whole genome sequencing. De. Madeeha is basically a Microbiologist. She completed her M.Phil in Microbiology from Hazara University Mansehra, Pakistan. After completing her education she started working as Research officer in one of the reputed Diagnostics and Research centre in Pakistan, Later due to her passion and deep understanding for research she was promoted to Research Manager at same research centre. Meanwhile she got admission and scholarship at UNSW SOVS and moved Australia to explore the world of Micro-organisms in Eye.

During her PhD she published 4 research papers and presented her work on different platforms. She also got industrial internship during her PhD where she worked on Covid 19. This internship gave her exposure of industrial world which later paved hers ways for Post-doc.

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.

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.

Vijaya K Gothwal is a low vision specialist and a Scientist at the L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad, India. She completed her undergraduation in Optometry from the Elite School of Optometry, Chennai, India and Postgraduation and PhD from the Queensland University of Technology, Australia. She completed a postdoc fellowship at the Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, South Australia. She has been working with the L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Hyderabad, India for last 34 years. She is Diplomate in Low Vision and a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. Until recently, she was the President of the International Society for Low Vision Research and Rehabilitation (ISLRR).

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.

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 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.

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".

Professor Kovin Naidoo is aGlobal Head of Advocacy and Partnerships at the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation and the former CEO of the Brien Holden Vision Institute. He is an academic, former anti- apartheid activist and political prisoner, optometrist and an internationally celebrated public health leader. His professional life has been dedicated to delivering eye care to people in need.

Professor Naidoo is Honorary Professor of Optometry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), and  and Adjunct Professor at University of New South Wales, Australia. He has published extensively in epidemiology and public health. More recently he served on the 2019 WHO World Report on Vision editorial committee. Recognizing the need to develop research capacity in Africa, Prof Naidoo initiated the formation of the African Vision Research Institute (AVRI). Prof. Naidoo is a former member of the World Council of Optometry Executive committee; Founder and Chair of African Vision and former Chair of the Red Cross Air Mercy Services board of Trustees among his many esteemed affiliations. He is the founder of the Childrens Vision Campaign that aimed to reach 50 million children by 2020 and brought together more than 100 organisations and professional associations. 

Michael has been working in the field of optometry and vision science for many years which has helped provide him with expertise in retinal anatomy and neurochemistry. Michael has a background in both academic and research based optometry along with this he has maintained a practice throughout his career.

Education:

Bachelor of Science in Optometry (University of Melbourne, Australia 1981)

Master of Science in Optometry (University of Melbourne, Australia, 1988)

Doctor of Philosophy (University of Houston, Texas, USA, 1988)

Postgraduate Certificate in Ocular Therapeutics A and B (University of Melbourne, 2002)             

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).

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.

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.

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 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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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Kishor is a pharmacist and adjunct faculty at the School of Optometry and Vision Science (SOVS). Kishor obtained his PhD degree at Osaka University, Japan and was an endeavour postdoctoral fellow at school of biomedical sciences, CSU, Australia. Kishor has been working at Jashore University of Science and Technology as an Associate Professor for the last six years.

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. 

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.

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. 

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 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.

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. 

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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.

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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.

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.

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.

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