I am a Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology.   My clinical activity takes place at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and is mainly dedicated to people with glaucoma.  I have surgical expertise on complex glaucomas and cataract. 

With my academic career at the Centre fof Public Health (Health Services Research Group) I am trying to improve eye health by investigating the effectiveness, safety and efficiency of new technologies for  eye diseases (e.g., treatments, diagnostic tests, models of eye care).  I have expertise in primary and secondary research methodology. 

I am Chief Investigator of several publicly funded trials, including EAGLE, an international multicentre RCT comparing primary lens extraction versus laser iridotomy in patients with angle-closure glaucoma (completed); GATE, an UK-based multicentre diagnostic study evaluating automated imaging technologies in glaucoma (completed); CHAMP-UK, a multicentre randomised trial evaluating low dose atropine eye drops for children with myopia (ongoing); GRIP, a multicentre cohort study using electronic medical records to validate a risk predictor for ocular hypertension conversion to glaucoma (ongoing).  I am co-Chief Investigator of the In-home Tracking of glaucoma (i-TRAC) study (ongoing). 

I am co-applicant of several multicentre trials: TAGS and GLAURIOUS (on glaucoma), DIAMONDS and EMERALD (on diabetic retinopathy), EDNA and MIRROR (on age-related macular degeneration). 

Overall I have received as CI or co-applicant over £12m of research funds from MRC, NIHR-EME, NIHR-HTA, Horizon 2020, and vision charities.   I have published over 220 peer-reviewed papers, over 20 book chapters, and edited three books.   My work has been cited over 5000 times and my current Scopus h-index is 43. 

Leadership positions: chair of the Scientific Committee of the European Glaucoma Society (from January 2021); chair of the NIHR CRN Clinical Study Group for glaucoma (from 2020); member of the NIHR-HTA prioritisation committee (from 2019);  member of the Development Group for the WHO Package of Glaucoma Interventions (from 2020); Lead Editor of the European Glaucoma Society Guidelines (5th edition, 2020);  member of the Executive Commitee of the European Glaucoma Society (2016-2020); member of the 2017 NICE glaucoma guidelines; 2012 Chair of the UK & Eire Glaucoma Society;  member of the Editorial Board of several specialist journals, including the Cochrane Eye and Vision Group, and Journal of Glaucoma.  Examiner for the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh. Past member of the Scientific Committee of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists.    Past lead of the CCRN-NIHR (Scotland 2010-2012).  

Special honours:  American Academy of Ophthalmology achievement award (2008); honorary member of the Italian Glaucoma Society; King James IV Professorship by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (2019); American Academy of Ophthalmology Secretariat Award (2020)