Meet The Team

Paul Mitchell is currently Emeritus Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Sydney and director of the Centre for Vision Research, Westmead Institute for Medical Research. He also directs Sydney West Retina, providing free services to manage medical retinal conditions. His clinical focus is in treating age-related macular degeneration (AMD), diabetic retinopathy (DR) and other vascular retinopathies. He has made significant contributions in the fields of public health and ophthalmic epidemiology via the landmark Blue Mountains Eye Study and has also conducted considerable research into childhood eye conditions. He has co-authored over 1,100 papers in peer-reviewed journals, and he has over 100,000 citations to his work. He was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) in 2018 for his contributions to research, clinical medicine and teaching, particularly in the field of AMD, and has been the recipient of many other prizes and awards. He is the research advisor to the Macular Disease Foundation, Australia.

A/Prof Gerald Liew is an academic ophthalmologist with expertise in general eye conditions, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal vein occlusions and inherited retinal diseases. He is a Consultant ophthalmologist at Retina Associates in Sydney, Staff Specialist at Westmead Hospital, Visiting Medical Officer at the Children’s Hospital, Westmead, and Associate Professor with the University of Sydney.

Colina Waddell is the Head of Australia Programs for the Brien Holden Foundation. She is responsible for the NSW & NT Brien Holden Foundation Optometry programs (optometry services to Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services, Community Health Services & Refugee/Migrant clinics). Colina has been involved in many different programs over the years at the Foundation both internationally and locally - however, she finds her passion is working with Aboriginal Communities ensuring access to care and spectacles to close the Vision Gap.

A/Professor Di Tanna, is an international expert on statistical methods in randomized clinical trials and observational research with a specific interest on Bayesian methods, evidence synthesis/meta analysis. He is the Head of the Bio-Statistics and Data Science Division, co-Head of the Meta-Research and Evidence Synthesis Unit at the George Institute for Global Health and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of New South Wales.

Professor Bamini Gopinath is the inaugural Cochlear Chair in Hearing and Health at Macquarie University. She is an epidemiologist who has been actively involved in developing and conducting numerous population health studies. Using large population datasets Bamini has provided novel community-based evidence on the health determinants and health outcomes associated with a sensory loss.

Lisa Keay PhD MPH is the Head of the School at the School of Optometry and Vision Science and Honorary Professorial Fellow at The George Institute for Global Health, UNSW Sydney. She is an Optometrist and public health researcher, with expertise in epidemiology, health promotion and injury prevention.

Tim Fricke is an optometrist and international development practitioner. He has research expertise in vision development, epidemiology, quality of life and access to eye care. He has been Director at the Brien Holden Foundation, who he continues to advise, as well as being principal at MinneMerri Consultants and an honorary senior fellow at the University of Melbourne.