Prof. Annegret Dahlmann-Noor, Professor of Paediatric Ophthalmology at UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, delivered her inaugural lecture on 22 July.
Annegret divides her time between clinical practice as a consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital and research as the NIHR Biomedical Research Centre: Moorfields Paediatric Clinical Trials Lead. She combines these roles with the support of a prestigious NIHR Senior Clinical and Practitioner Research Award.
“I am delighted to be recognised to be appointed as a Professor of Paediatric Ophthalmology. Our research matters because every child deserves the opportunity to see well, develop and learn.”
In his introduction, Prof. Andrew Dick, Dean of UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences, highlighted Annegret’s focus on community, bridging the gap between the lab and the real world. He praised her work with patients and the public to ensure their voices shape her research.
A key part of this work has been the creation of the Young Persons Advisory Group (YPAG), supported by the NIHR. YPAG gives children agency in research design, helping to steer researchers even if they ‘think’ that they know what children want and need.
Annegret is also one of the leading voices on myopia management outside of China. Globally, myopia is on the rise, beginning at younger ages and progressing faster. This is leading to more adults with more severe myopia and a higher risk of sight-threatening complications. With the help of YPAG, she created COSMYC (Core Outcome Set for Myopia trials in Children), a standardised research framework for other researchers, with the goal of accelerating research into myopia management.
Championing publicly for children’s eyesight, Dahlmann-Noor has highlighted simple actions that parents and carers can take to support children’s eye health.
“As an advocate for children’s eye health, it is close to my heart that children spend 2 hours a day outside and have regular eye tests once a year, to make sure that they grow up in good health and with good vision”
Looking to the future, Prof. Paul Foster and Annegret will lead the children’s theme of an upcoming UKRI Adolescent Health Study. The longitudinal population study will recruit 100,000 young people. The project complements Annegret’s wider research interests, with a particular focus on health equity.
