Professor Joanne Wood, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Dr Joanne Wood is a Professor at QUT’s School of Optometry and Vision Science, with over 25 years of research experience in areas such as vision and driving, falls, children’s functional vision, and clinical psychophysics. She earned her PhD from Aston University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Oxford. Rising through academic ranks at QUT, she has also served as Director of Research in Optometry and led the Vision Improvement Domain at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation. Dr Wood has published over 280 journal articles, presented at 200+ international conferences, and received funding from both government and industry. She established QUT’s vision and driving research lab, known for its innovative real-world driving performance studies. In recognition of her contributions, she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Science from Aston University. Further details can be found here.

Professor David Whitaker, Cardiff University

Professor Whitaker is an optometrist and with wide-ranging teaching experience including at Aston University and the University of Bradford. He moved to Cardiff University in 2015 and took on the role of Dean and Head of the School of Healthcare Sciences, the largest undergraduate School at Cardiff, in early 2018. In 2024, Professor Whitaker returned to the School of Optometry and Vision Science at Cardiff. He has extensive research experience including service on REF panels, as an advisor to RAE2008 and a full panel member in REF2014 and REF2021. Professor Whitaker is the proud recipient of the Association of Optometrists Lifetime Achievement Award 2024. Further details can be found here.

Professor Mark Bullimore, University of Houston

Professor Bullimore is an internationally renowned scientist, speaker, and educator based in Boulder, Colorado. He received his Optometry degree and PhD in Vision Science from Aston University in Birmingham, England. He spent most of his career at the Ohio State University and the University of California at Berkeley and is now Adjunct Professor at the University of Houston. He is the former Editor of Optometry and Vision Science. His expertise in myopia, contact lenses, low vision, presbyopia, and refractive surgery means that he is consultant for a number of ophthalmic, surgical, and pharmaceutical companies. This work has resulted in approval of, among others, Paragon CRT, Alcon’s iLux, and CooperVision’s MiSight lens. He has co-authored over 100 peer-reviewed scientific articles including several modern classics in the field of myopia control. Further details can be found here.