Clinical Ophthalmology and Eye Health
Head of Discipline
Dr John Grigg
Location
Sydney Eye Hospital
The Discipline of Clinical Ophthalmology and Eye Health was established in 1966. The Foundation Professor was appointed in 1977. The Save Sight Institute was established in 1985. The Discipline initially established at Sydney Eye Hospital has now established a presence at Westmead Hospital.
Facilities
Clinical Visual Science
The Discipline has a strong clinical base at Sydney Eye Hospital (65,000 patients a year) and Westmead Hospital (15,000 patients a year) with access to related diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, including sophisticated lasers.
It organises and teaches graduate programs for 19 trainees specialising in ophthalmology for Fellowship of the Royal Australian College of Ophthalmologists and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.
A prerequisite for these positions is completion of Part 1 of the FRACO examination. The Discipline also coordinates the undergraduate training in ophthalmology in the teaching hospitals of the University of Sydney and takes graduate candidates for degrees by thesis.
Visual Science
The Discipline has well equipped laboratories including on-site access to electron microscope facilities. It interfaces with other groups in the University, particularly in vision research.
Epidemiology and Community Ophthalmology Activities
These activities are supported through the Save Sight Institute which also interfaces with international ophthalmology through FORESIGHT (Australian International Non Government Organisation for Prevention of Blindness), the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and the World Health Organisation. Australian epidemiological studies of eye disease are conducted in both Westmead and Sydney Eye Hospitals.
Areas of research
Visual Science
- Visual science, developmental neurobiology of the retina and optic nerves
- Age-related macular degeneration
- Metabolism of the lens
Clinical Visual Science
- Paediatric ophthalmology
- External eye disease and immunology of the cornea
- Medical retina
- Glaucoma and cataract
Epidemiology
Epidemiology of eye disease in Australia, including age-related macular degeneration, diabetic eye disease, external eye disease and blindness in children.
Contact details
Dr John Grigg
Head of Discipline
Sydney Eye Hospital
Macquarie Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: +61 2 9382 7300
Fax: +61 2 9382 7318
E-mail: