As we commence 2026, we look back on an extraordinary year for the School of Optometry & Vision Science. Our researchers achieved global recognition, secured prestigious awards, published in leading journals and drove innovation through collaborative projects. These accomplishments reflect our commitment to delivering research that drives innovation and excellence in vision research, and we are excited to share some of the key milestones that shaped 2025 and sets the stage for continued impact in the year ahead.
Awards & Achievements
Professor Konrad Pesudovs
Awarded Arthur Bennett Prize by The College of Optometrists UK for the global impact of his research in optometry and vision science.
With over 130,000+ citations and an H-index of 87, Professor Pesudovs is the world’s most cited optometrist. His groundbreaking work in patient-reported outcomes, Rasch analysis, and the development of ophthalmic item banks has transformed how we measure and understand visual performance and quality of life. We have several exciting projects running at SOVS under Konrad’s leadership that are due to produce interesting outcomes in the next couple of years - watch this space.
Emeritus Professor Eric Papas
Received the Bernard Gilmartin OPO Award (College of Optometrists, UK) honouring an outstanding paper in Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics within the past five years.
Awarded Paper: Papas EB. The global prevalence of dry eye disease: A Bayesian view. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt. 2021 Nov;41(6):1254–1266.
DOI: 10.1111/opo.12888
Professor Papas’ work continues to inspire researchers around the world.
Associate Professor Maria Markoulli
Recipient of the Faculty of Medicine & Health Research Collaboration Award
Innovation & Collaboration
Innovation has been a key focus across the UNSW Faculty of Medicine & Health. Co-hosted with UNSW Founders, the BYO Innovation Challenge 2025 empowered participants to refine health innovation ideas through expert led workshops.
Congratulations to SOVS’s Equitable Vision Diagnostics team Peter Wagner, Jack Gordon, Revathy Mani and Frederik Kalle who were awarded second prize for their innovative solutions aimed at improving eye health in underserved communities.
Photo credit: UNSW Founders
Research Outputs
Our research momentum continued to grow:
Publications
We produced 346 publications in 2025, 33% higher than in 2024 alongside increases in papers within the top 10% of cited papers, and the top quartile of journals.
Global reach
Led by Scientia Professor Fiona Stapleton AO, SOVS contributed to the TFOS DEWS III Dry Eye Workshop with numerous SOVS authors, including Professor Isabelle Jalbert and Associate Professor Maria Markoulli. These high impact publications have been translated into several languages and easy to use clinical guidelines, demonstrating the social and global research of SOVS research.
Stapleton, F., Argueso, P., Asbell, P., Azar, D., Bosworth, C., Chen, W., Ciolino, J. B., Craig, J. P., Gallar, J., Galor, A., Gomes, J. A. P., Jalbert, I., Jie, Y., Jones, L., Konomi, K., Liu, Y., Merayo-Lloves, J., Oliveira, F. R., Perez, V. L., Rocha, E. M., Sullivan, B. D., Sullivan, D. A., Vehof, J., Vitale, S., Willcox, M., Wolffsohn, J. S., & Dogru, M. (2025). TFOS DEWS III: Digest. American Journal of Ophthalmology, 279, 451-553. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajo.2025.05.040
Landmark Research
The School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW and Brien Holden Foundation were part of the consortium delivering the Australian Eye and Ear Health Survey. The report was launched on World Sight Day on 9th October 2025 at Parliament House with Minister for Health and Ageing and Minister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme, the Hon Mark Butler MP. More than 4,500 Australians took part across 30 sites nationwide. Rates of vision loss have declined since 2016, but gaps remain for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and those in remote areas. The survey also provides the first national data on hearing health, showing nearly 40% of Australians aged 50+ experience some level of hearing loss.
Richard Kha, Gerald Liew, Gary Low, George Burlutsky, Yasemin Kapucu, Colina Waddell, Alemka Davis, Tim Fricke, Oonagh Macken, Eleanor Yang, Andrew White, Bamini Gopinath, Lisa Keay, Paul Mitchell (2025) The Australian Eye and Ear Health Survey: a nationwide survey of eye and ear health, vision and hearing impairment in Australia https://vision2020australia.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/AEEHS_Full_Report_compressed.pdf
Quality Focus
We have seen a shift in NHMRC (National Health and Medical Research Council) metrics from counting the number of publications to emphasising the quality and outcomes of research, aligning strongly with SOVS’s impact-driven approach.
Key Publications in Top Journals
Progress in Retinal and Eye Research (Top-ranked Ophthalmology/Optometry journal)
Phu, J., Khuu, S. K., Nivison-Smith, L., & Kalloniatis, M. (2025). Standard automated perimetry for glaucoma and diseases of the retina and visual pathways: Current and future perspectives. Progress in Retinal and Eye Research, 104. doi:10.1016/j.preteyeres.2024.101307
Communications Biology (Nature Portfolio)
Schumann, U., Liu, L., Aggio-Bruce, R., Cioanca, A. V., Shariev, A., Madigan, M. C., . . . Natoli, R. (2025). Spatial transcriptomics reveals regionally altered gene expression that drives retinal degeneration. Communications Biology, 8(1). doi:10.1038/s42003-025-07887-2
PLOS Pathogens (Top-ranking Virology journal)
Arshad, S., Rana, H., Truong, N. R., Pattamatta, U., Bertram, K. M., White, A., Carnt, N* Cunningham, A. L.* (2025). Herpes simplex virus type-1 infection and spread in a novel porcine corneal explant model is restricted to the epithelium. Plos Pathogens, 21(5). doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1013162 * Equal Senior Authors
Funding Success
SOVS continues to achieve outstanding results. We maintain strong performance in Australian Government grants, serve as a model for industry collaboration, and are expanding into diverse funding areas.
Natural Hazards Research Grant
Dr Suki Jaiswal and Professor Isabelle Jalbert were awarded funding for their timely research on bushfire smoke affects eye health, conducting both field studies and first-of-its-kind laboratory study safely exposing participants to smoke pollution. Their work identifies ocular surface damage and inflammatory responses, paving the way for future protective treatments during bushfire seasons.
Read more here: https://www.unsw.edu.au/news/2025/09/new-research-uncovers-how-bushfire-smoke-affects-eye-health
Industry Engagement
Professor Mark Willcox exemplifies industry collaboration through the Australian Mathematical Sciences Institute (ASMI) APR (Australian Postgraduate Research) Intern Program connecting postgraduate research students with short-term industry placements. These placements provide valuable experience in real‑world research environments. Several SOVS PhD graduates have secured employment following completion of their PhD. A fantastic outcome for both students and industry partners. Several groups across the School are closely engaged with international industry partners. The Eye Research Group under the stewardship of A/Professor Jackie Tan and Professor Fiona Stapleton continue to be a premiere partner for ophthalmic clinical trials.
Discovery Research in Retinal Disease
Supported by the UNSW Research Infrastructure Scheme the School has acquired a Laser Photocoagulation System for Precision Modelling Retinal and Ocular Pathologies. Supported by a Bright Focus Foundation New Investigator Grant Program Dr Daisy Shu and colleagues are poised to make significant inroads into understanding the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration and developing new treatments for ‘From Fumarates to Microtubules: novel anti-angiogenic and anti-fibrotic therapies for AMD’. Dr Anglica Ly and colleagues are expanding our capabilities in advancing Retinal Disease Detection with the exciting addition of Hyperspectral Technology at UNSW.
Summary
As we begin 2026, we celebrate the remarkable achievements of the past year, from global recognition of our researchers to groundbreaking publications, innovation awards and industry partnerships. These successes underscore SOVS’s commitment to advancing eye health and vision science. We thank our research partners, collaborators and supporters for their continued support, and look forward to working together to drive innovation and deliver meaningful outcomes in the year ahead.