Optometrists who see the big picture

Seven early to mid-career researchers from the Faculty were invited to pitch their innovative projects to the Dean Professor Shitij Kapur and a panel of judges as part of the inaugural Dean’s Innovation Grants on Tuesday 31 July.

Congratulations to A/Prof Larry Abel and collaborators in Optometry at Hong Kong Polytechnic University (HKPU) for their recent success in the Hong Kong Universities General Research fund.

Lecturer Dr Kwang Cham and students Anjalee Athukoralage, Victor Liu, Tom Morton and Noni Rupasinghe from the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences conducted eye checks and dispensed glasses to 3000 low income earners in Sri Lanka this January.

Department of Optometry and Vision Science's Dr Laura Downie was interviewed by ophthalmologist Dr Joshua Young in an invited PodCast for the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

Thank you to all those who attended the function to recognise and celebrate the clinical teaching staff associated with the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences.

Prof Trichur Vigyasagar was awarded an ARC Discovery Project worth $470,500 over 3 years entitled 'Neuronal Origin of functional maps on the mammalian visual cortex'.

Dr Holly Chinnery was awarded a project grant worth $436,178 over 3 years entitled 'Making sense of novel ocular neuroimmune interactions'.

A new program offering free eye tests and glasses at Victorian schools is set to transform the learning environment of children in prep to year three — up to a third of whom may have unidentified vision problems.

Congratulations to Dr Yu Man (Janet) Chan, Joseph Paul and Selwyn Prea.

Congratulations to John Farmer on being this year’s recipient of the Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences Alumnus Award.

Congratulations to DOVS PhD student, Jeremiah Lim, who has been awarded the prestigious Eberhard Dodt Memorial Award, for the outstanding young presenter at the 54th International Society for Clinical Electrophysiology of Vision (ISCEV) Annual Symposium held in Singapore.

Congratulations to our OD3 student Emily Glover on being the inaugural recipient of the Inspiring Student Optometrist Award, kindly sponsored by Collins Street Optometrists!

Please join us for our upcoming Seeing Beyond lecture on Wednesday the 5th of October.

Congratulations to Shajan Velaedan and Flora Hui.

A big thanks and fond farewell to Rizwana Hussaindeen from the Elite School of Optometry in Chennai India.

The OD students made an amazing contribution to the Teddy Bear Hospital, Good Friday Appeal, which raised over $23,000.

In May, a large contingent of DOVS staff and students attended the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual conference in Seattle, Washington.

Two of our teaching specialists, Dr Kwang Cham and Anthea Cochrane, were invited to present the Department's Learning and Teaching innovations at the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences Annual Learning and Teaching Symposium.

The Class of 1976 back together for their 40 year reunion. Thank you for a great evening!

The Class of 1986 returning for their 30 year reunion. Thank you for a lovely evening!

Prof Trichur Vidyasagar was invited to write on animal (especially non-human primate) research in The Conversation.

A new online postgraduate course will enable optometrists to extend their abilities to assess and manage patients with neuro-ophthalmic disorders.

Dr Christine Nguyen (pictured), A/Prof Bang Bui and Prof Algis Vingrys from the Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences and their collaborators (Dr Cebers and Dr Haeberlein) were successful in the most recent Australian Research Council Linkage Grant round.

Nominate a colleague for their contributions to the community and the profession.

Congratulations to Jeremiah Lim on winning the Postgraduate travel grant. Good luck at the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology conference in Seattle, USA next week!

One of the Department of Optometry's graduates, Jessica Chi, describes a diverse and challenging career in patient care in an article for The Age.

Optometry at The University of Melbourne is holding evening reunion tours in June of its new teaching, research and clinical facilities for the classes (final year) of 2006 (14th June), 1996 (16th June), and 1986 (21st June) and 1976 (23rd June).

Together, DOVS and the University of Melbourne Optometry Student Society hosted an engaging evening to hear Emeritus Professor Barry Cole’s personal take on “A History of Australian Optometry”.

A big thank you to all those who attended our "Seeing Beyond Lecture Series” on the 20th of April. Our speakers were Professor Allison McKendrick and Associate Professor Bang Bui, who focussed on the latest research advances in glaucoma assessment and pathogenesis. Allison discussed new developments in macular assessment for glaucoma while Bang covered new insights into non-IOP risk factors in glaucoma.

A number of Optometry staff were awarded grants in the most recent NHMRC round.

Dr Bang Bui and Prof Erica Fletcher (Anatomy & Neuroscience) have been awarded an ARC Discovery grant with funding of $359,800 over 3 years.

The department has had some success in the Melbourne Neuroscience Institute Interdisciplinary Seed Funding Grant scheme for 2016.

The Department's Dr Laura Downie, leading a team of researchers comprising of Dr Lauren Ayton, Professor Robyn Guymer, A/Prof Peter Keller and Professor Algis Vingrys, was awarded a Blackmores Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA) Grant for $100,000 over three years.