Head of School update

Happy New Year to you all – I hope that you enjoyed a restful break with family and friends and you had the chance to recharge before diving into an exciting year ahead.

2026 marks a major milestone!  The 50^th anniversary of the School of Optometry & Vision Science at UNSW Sydney.  We invite you to join us on Saturday 23 May 2026, for a gala dinner at Leighton Hall, UNSW Sydney, starting at 6.00pm.  Before the dinner, we will host School tours and CPD sessions for those interested.  Tickets will go on sale later this month, so reconnect with your cohort and join us for an evening of networking, celebration and fun!

As we step into 2026, I would like to take a moment to reflect on some highlights from 2025.  A year of growth, innovation and achievement for our School. 

Last year was an exceptional one for research at SOVS.  We saw a significant increase in publications, rising from 243 in 2024 to 355 in 2025, alongside a boost in research income to just over $2 million.  Our team also filed four patents and celebrated the completion of 20 PhD’s and one Master of Research.  These achievements underscore the strength and impact of our research community. 

We are also proud of the international recognition received by our staff.  Professor Isabelle Jalbert, who was awarded the Michael G. Harris award for her ongoing and excellence in teaching and advanced education while Emeritus Professor Stephen Dain received the Henry B Peters Award for Public Health and Environmental Vision.  Both honours were presented by the American Academy of Optometry Foundation, highlighting the global influence of our work.

Our academic excellence continued to shine on the global stage in 2025.  The College of Optometrists UK recognised two of our distinguished colleagues for their outstanding contributions to the profession:

• Professor Konrad Pesudovs received the prestigious Arthur Bennett prize for the global impact of his research.  With over 130,000 citations and an H-index of 87, Konrad is the world’s most cited optometrist.  A remarkable achievement that reflects his influence on the field.
• Emeritus Professor Eric Papas was awarded the Bernard Gilmartin OPO Award for his highly regarded paper: “The global prevalence of dry eye disease: A Bayesian View” Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2021 Nov;41(6):1254–1266.
  DOI: 10.1111/opo.12888

Many of our other academics and higher degree research students were also recognised throughout 2025 and I encourage you to explore their successes in other sections of this newsletter.

We are proud to share that 2025 was an outstanding year for teaching within Optometry & Vision Science.  University wide student feedback surveys placed our courses among the highest rated in the Faculty of Medicine & Health and across UNSW. These exceptional results reflect the quality of education our students receive and the high regard they have for our Lecturers.  It is a testament to the dedication and breadth of expertise that continues to define our School and strengthen its reputation for academic excellence.

To ensure our students have access to the latest technology in education, we are excited to announce that we acquired a Haag-Stret slit lamp training simulator at the end of 2025.  This state-of-the-art virtual reality tool enables students to examine virtual patients with the slit lamp biomicroscope, fundoscopy lens, or gonioscopy lens with access to structured self-paced curriculum, feedback and case-based learning.  The simulator will be housed in the Health Translation Hub and will become an invaluable resource for hands-on and inter-professional learning.

UNSW will introduce a new ‘flex semester’ academic calendar in 2028.  In preparation we welcomed Michele Clewett in 2025 to lead the School’s transition.  Michele has been engaging with current students, alumni and key stakeholders, including current employers of our graduates, to gather insights on how to make our programs even stronger.  These conversations will help shape updates to our curriculum, ensuring we continue to deliver a premium program under the new calendar format. 

We have had significant growth in our lifelong learning with a suite of on-line self-paced short courses offered to practicing clinicians in key areas in paediatric eyecare, myopia management and dry eye disease; 678 students have taken these courses since inception in 2023.  In 2025, Professor Juno Kim led the transition of our ocular therapeutics program into the lifelong learning platform, now offering optometrists greater flexibility and choice. Previously delivered as the Graduate Certificate in Ocular Therapeutics, the program has been restructured into four standalone Professional Credentials. The combined Professional Credential in Ocular Therapeutics is accredited by the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand and provides the coursework and practical experience required for therapeutic endorsement in Australia, while also catering to optometrists who are already endorsed and seeking to refresh their knowledge.  The program is set to commence in February 2026 – see here for more information.

We welcomed Lauren Carr (née Hutchinson,) a Muruwari woman and optometrist, born and raised on Wiradjuri country in the central west of NSW, to our team as Senior Lecturer.  Lauren’s leadership and commitment to Indigenous health make her a valuable addition to our team.  Her passion for mentoring and supporting the next generation of health professionals aligns strongly with our mission at SOVS.  For the first time in 2025, SOVS joined UNSW’s long-standing Pre-Medicine and Health Program (PMHP), a three-week residential initiative designed to empower Indigenous students aspiring to careers in health. From November 17 to December 5, 18 students explored first-year fundamentals across disciplines including Dietetics, Medicine, Pharmacy, Physiotherapy and Optometry & Vision Science as candidates for admission to UNSW for 2026.  We are proud to be part of this important program and look forward to continuing our involvement, providing pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people to begin careers in Optometry.

In November 2025, the Health Translation Hub (HTH), located in the Prince of Wales Hospital/UNSW Randwick Precinct, officially opened its doors.  We are thrilled to announce that our Glaucoma Management Clinic commenced in the first week of January 2026 at the Eye Health Clinic within the polyclinic at the HTH, with students working alongside supervisors to deliver patient care.  The HTH Eye Health Clinic provides a unique environment for delivering multi-disciplinary care and innovating in integrated models of care.   A heartfelt thank you to our dedicated team for making this possible – a special acknowledgement to Dr Dale Larden, Kat Pakarinen, Tracy Kane, Dr Ereeny Mikhail, Daniel Pua, Elizabeth Wong, Nicole Lawson and Eihab Eltantawy for their invaluable contributions in launching our first clinic.

In 2026, we will be establishing an Optometry Residency Program; a rigorous two-year postgraduate training pathway, designed to develop highly skilled clinicians and system-minded leaders. Residents will undertake high-volume, supervised clinical rotations across multi-disciplinary clinics, community clinics, and specialty practices; lead quality-improvement and research projects; and receive structured mentorship and tailored leadership development.

We have launched a fundraising campaign to support this program, donations will help deliver immediate patient impact, drive service innovation and shape a future ready optometric workforce.  The UNSW Optometry residency program reflects our commitment to clinical excellence, interdisciplinary collaboration, and leadership in eye care.  For more information on how to support or get involved in this initiative, please reach out to me directly via email: l.keay@unsw.edu.au

The Centre for Eye Health (CFEH) officially closed its doors on UNSW Campus in December 2025 after 16 years of service to the NSW community.  Over its 16 years, the Centre for Eye Health made an extraordinary impact on both clinical care, training and research.  It produced 168 peer-reviewed publications, contributed to 11 PhD and six MSc completions, developed educational resources and delivered continuing professional development to thousands of optometrists.  The Centre also played an integral role in shaping the clinical experience of our final year students through six-week placements that were consistently highly valued and widely enjoyed by more than 1,000 UNSW Optometry students.  The CFEH was the training ground for many careers – Centre staff have moved into specialised clinical care, ongoing research and education around the globe, many maintaining formal associations with our School.  We extend our deepest gratitude to the entire team for their unwavering commitment to preventing blindness, advancing research and supporting the School through its remarkable journey.  

I would also like to recognise the generous support of Guide Dogs NSW/ACT for investing in the Centre for Eye Health, an ambitious joint venture in partnership with UNSW.  Under the leadership of Professor Michael Kalloniatis from opening in 2009 until 2022 and more recently General Manager Sarah Holland, the Centre was at the forefront of early detection and management of eye disease. 

Finally, I would like to acknowledge the incredible efforts of our staff throughout 2025, our placement hosts who make clinical training possible and the 100+ visiting academics whose contributions from HDR supervision to guest lectures enrich the learning experience for our students.  Your support is invaluable and we thank you for your continued partnership.

As we look ahead, we hope 2026 brings you success and happiness and we look forward to celebrating with you at our 50^th anniversary gala dinner on 23 May 2026 at UNSW Sydney.

Best regards,

Professor Lisa Keay

Head of School UNSW School of Optometry & Vision Science