World-leading optometry researcher, QUT Professor Nathan Efron, was presented with the prestigious Optometry Australia H Barry Collin Research Medal on the weekend in recognition of his life-long passion for pursuing excellence in eye health.
The award was presented at the Southern Regional Optometry Congress in Melbourne (March 5-6, 2016) and acknowledges Professor Efron’s outstanding contributions to the advancement in knowledge of optics, vision science and clinical optometry.
Professor Efron was pivotal in the development of the first daily throw-away contact lens and has been a pioneer in developing an eye test to assess nerve damage in people with diabetes.
He said 50 per cent of patients with diabetes had some degree of nerve damage and if left unchecked this damage could lead to terrible pain in the arms and legs.
Professor Efron devised a test that involves examining fine nerve fibres in the cornea, which is the front clear window of the eye, using a special high-powered laser-scanning confocal microscope.
“It is quick, painless, and allows us to diagnose the condition, monitor progress and evaluate the effect of treatments,” he said.
Professor Efron has also secured funding from the US-based National Institutes of Health to assemble a consortium of multidisciplinary researchers from Australia, the UK, USA, Canada and Qatar with the aim of trialling his new eye test on more than 600 patients with diabetic neuropathy.
“This research should firmly establish the diagnostic capabilities of this approach and in the long term lead to better treatment of patients with this debilitating condition,” he said.
Professor Efron, who lives in Southport on the Gold Coast, is a prolific author, having published more than 800 scientific articles and 16 books and has been invited to speak at more than 500 conferences in 42 countries throughout his career.
He is president of the Australian College of Optometry and vice-president of the International Society for Contact Lens Research.
Professor Efron is a QUT research professor in the School of Optometry and Vision Science and the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI).
Media contacts:
Sandra Hutchinson, QUT media officer, 07 3138 9449 (Tue/Wed) or media@qut.edu.au
Rose Trapnell, QUT media team leader, 07 3138 2361 or 0407 585 901
