ISSUE 216 OCT 2025

This issue of mivision presents an optimistic perspective on the future of eye health, as we explore new technologies and strategies that have real potential to make a difference – not only to health care professionals but to the public.

“Australia is well-positioned to pioneer research and innovation that sets the benchmark in the use of health data, but the time for action is now”

South Australia’s Seonix Bio has received a million-dollar Australian Government grant to help incorporate rare variant detection into its genetic testing platform for eye diseases.

New research into community perceptions of eye health in Australia and Asia Pacific (APAC) has found that nearly two-thirds of Australians aged 40 years and over fear losing their independence.1 Additionally, a quarter worry that vision impairment will leave them socially isolated.1

Diabetes Australia has launched a collaborative approach to research funding that increases the direct involvement, and prioritisation of funding allocations based on feedback and co-design, of people living with diabetes.

Two new major research grants – totalling AU$300,000 – have been announced by the Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA).

Artificial intelligence (AI) programs such as ChatGPT could potentially be used to motivate people to make healthier choices, but currently veer away from best practice, new Flinders University research has found.

Rohto Dry Aid – a dry eye drop developed and manufactured in Japan – has been launched to the Australian and New Zealand markets.

A comprehensive study of 380,182 United Kingdom Biobank participants has revealed significant associations between sleep patterns and the development of age-related ocular diseases, suggesting that sleep could be a modifiable risk factor for eye health.

Specsavers has been officially recognised as Australia's 4th Best Workplace for 2025 by Great Place to Work, marking the third consecutive year the optometry retailer has secured a national Top 10 large business category position.

A new Australian initiative, Women in Scrubs, is connecting female surgeons with GPs and patients, with the aim to address gender disparities in surgical referral networks.

Guide Dogs NSW/ACT has launched its first-ever community magazine, bringing together inspiring stories and expert guidance in a fully accessible online publication, designed to strengthen connections within Australia’s vision support community.

A new Australian study has found that an automated artificial intelligence (AI) enabled camera can accurately detect diabetic eye disease with more than 93% accuracy in non-eye care settings.

Lauren Carr (née Hutchinson) has become the inaugural First Peoples Academic lead for the School of Optometry and Vision Science (SOVS) and Blakcademy in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, at University of New South Wales (UNSW).

The Australian and New Zealand Registry of Advanced Glaucoma (ANZRAG) – one of the world’s largest glaucoma registries – is calling for study participants for a range of projects exploring congenital and childhood glaucoma across Australia and New Zealand.

The first participant has been enrolled in the i-SIGHT2 study – an Australian-run clinical trial for the novel, non-invasive i-Lumen AMD System. The study is designed to evaluate vision improvement generated by the i-Lumen AMD system in patients with central vision loss due to intermediate and advanced non-exudative (dry) age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Delegates at the Australasian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (AUSCRS) conference in Darwin have contributed to a short survey, offering an illuminating snapshot of how refractive surgery is evolving across Australia and New Zealand.

Five Tasmanian optometrists from Total Eyecare have been awarded the Order of Timor Leste medal by His Excellency Jose Ramos Horta, President of East Timor. The medals were awarded to recognise the optometrists’ extraordinary voluntary service to the people of East Timor from 2002 to 2020.

Gone are the days when glasses were simply for seeing better. Today’s eyewear is getting seriously smart, offering audiology, health and fitness tracking, entertainment, and constant connectivity. What was once a fictional fantasy is now a rapidly evolving reality.

Early intervention is critical in the prevention of avoidable blindness; however rural residents experience longer wait times and are often required to travel long distances to access healthcare. Beyond personal inconvenience, reliance on carers, financial cost, and delayed access to care contributes to overall poorer eye health outcomes for rural Australians.

When organisations that have traditionally worked in isolation come together with a shared mission, extraordinary things can happen. As World Sight Day approaches, highlighting the global commitment to eliminating avoidable blindness, one collaborative effort stands out for its tangible impact on eye health outcomes across Australia and New Zealand. The Extension of Care Collective is proving that the whole really can be greater than the sum of its parts.

Dr Matt Russell explores how artificial intelligence is transforming cataract and refractive surgery, its current applications, future potential, and ethical implications.

As the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) prepares for its 56th Annual Scientific Congress in Melbourne in November, Professor Peter McCluskey discusses the benefits that can only be achieved by in-person events.

RANZCO 2025 Melbourne

The tropical setting of Darwin provided the backdrop for an engaging evening at the Rayner hospitality suite during the Australian Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (AUSCRS) annual meeting. Dr Ben LaHood, the Adelaide-based eye surgeon who has earned recognition on The Ophthalmologist Power List in both 2023 and 2024, hosted a series of candid discussions with leading ophthalmologists about their clinical experiences with the RayOne EMV (enhanced monovision) and the

Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PXF) is the most common identifiable cause of open-angle glaucoma, with PXF-affected individuals demonstrating an approximately 10 times risk of developing glaucoma.1 Even more clinically concerning for those affected individuals, pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PXG) is one of the most aggressive and clinically complex forms of secondary open angle glaucoma. This type of glaucoma is associated with higher intraocular pressure (IOP) levels, greater IOP

Multifocal contact lenses provide numerous benefits to presbyopic patients, but with optometrists often working in busy clinics, streamlining the fitting process and optimising the success rate is of great importance. This article explores the potential benefits of multifocal contact lenses for patients and provides guidance on how to streamline and optimise the fitting process.

In our continuing series, encapsulating the relevant practice conclusions from the BCLA CLEAR Presbyopia publications, Dr Sandeep Dhallu provides an overview of the management of presbyopia with intraocular lenses (IOLs).

Alcon’s Hydrus Microstent is a minimally invasive surgical device that received regulatory approval on the basis of findings from the two-year HORIZON trial. Recently published results of five years of follow-up have confirmed safety and efficacy outcomes.

Standard automated perimetry (SAP) remains the primary method for assessing functional loss in glaucoma.1 The threshold visual field (VF) test report typically contains a large number of summary and detailed metrics that describe the sensitivity and reliability properties of the test, such as the mean deviation (MD) and the threshold sensitivity of grid locations.

Visual field tests with increased diagnostic accuracy and shorter durations can improve the quality of care in glaucoma. The Henson 9000 perimeter utilises unique testing strategies to optimise visual field analysis.

In this deeply personal tribute, Alan Saks reflects on a life defined by purpose, and on how a life well lived and a love for optometry became a force felt worldwide.

Optometry Australia (OA) is seeking to advance credentials within the profession while ensuring future generations are equipped to achieve their potential as well.

If you’re inclined to suffer from FOMO (fear of missing out) you may not wish to read on. Because the recent Optometry Clinical Conference, held at Centrepiece on the fringe of Melbourne’s central business district, was an outstanding success.

From an optometry and ophthalmology perspective, vision is all about clarity – correcting, protecting, preventing, and ensuring we see the world with precision. Estate planning, in many ways, is the same. Just as a carefully prescribed lens ensures clear vision, a well-structured estate plan provides clarity and security for your future and your loved ones.

What if the difference between a new patient clicking ‘Book Now’ or bouncing off your website came down to a single photo?

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Explore ‘The Force’ in orthokeratology, myopia management, and specialty contact lenses. The Orthokeratology Society of Oceania’s 2025 conference will include lectures and practical workshops presented by John Mountford, Michael Lipson, Shonit Jamohan, Luke Arundel, Jagrut Lallu, Alex Petty, Charl Laas, Gavin Boneham, Celia Bloxsam, and Phillip Cheng.

October 10–12, Orthokeratology Society of Oceania (OSO) 2025, RACV Royal Pines Resort, Gold Coast, QLD. Info: oso.net.au