Dr Ching Yi Wu named OV/SA 2025 Rising Star of the Year
The Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences is thrilled to congratulate Dr Ching Yi Wu, who has been awarded Optometry Australia’s OV/SA 2025 Rising Star of the Year. This is a national honour recognising exceptional early-career optometrists shaping the future of the profession.
Ching Yi reflects on what drives her work: “research is more than just conducting experiments and finding something new. It is about using a passion for innovation to translate these findings and make a positive difference to the community.”
She adds that optometry, for her, is
Using the eye as a window to a clearer future.
Acknowledging the support she has received along the way, Ching Yi emphasises that this award is not a solo achievement. “I wouldn't have been able to achieve so much without the immense support of my supervisors and lab members. I am very grateful to have an amazing team,” she says.
Ching Yi’s career is already defined by innovation and impact. After graduating in 2015, she balanced full-time clinical practice with teaching at the Australian College of Optometry before embarking on a joint PhD at the University of Melbourne and the University of Manchester as a Cookson Scholar.
Her doctoral research led to the discovery of a new immune cell type in the mouse eyelid, meibomian gland orifice immune cells (MOICs), offering exciting new insights into meibomian gland dysfunction and potential anti-inflammatory treatments.
Today, Ching Yi is driving cross-disciplinary collaborations spanning neurology, neuroimmunology, endocrinology, psychology, immunology and ophthalmology to better understand the human ocular immune system. She has published in leading journals, presented internationally, won the MSHS PitchFest for her science communication, and secured her first independent research grant shortly after submitting her PhD.
As a graduate researcher advisor, co-supervisor and respected demonstrator, she is equally committed to mentoring the next generation of optometrists and vision scientists.
We are immensely proud of Ching Yi and delighted to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of her contributions to research, patient care and the broader optometry community.
