Current Positions   

• Lecturer in Optometry, Dublin Institute of Technology.
  
• Director, Macular Pigment Research Group, Dublin Institute of Technology/Waterford Institute of Technology
  
• Senior Vision Scientist, Institute of Vision Research, Waterford
• Honorary Research Fellow, African Vision Research Institute, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
• Director and National Chair, Optometry Giving Sight Ireland
  
  

Qualifications

- Graduated as an Optometrist from DIT with first class honours. (June 1997)

- Completed PhD research studies titled “Clinical viability study of preattentive visual search in glaucoma” (August 2006)

Academic Achievements & Awards

- Successfully elected to Fellowship of the Association of Optometrists Ireland (July
    1997)

- Allergan Ocular Pharmacology Award (July 1997)

- Harte Barry Award (July 1997)

- DIT Hothouse Research Commercialisation Award (November 2008)

Professional Affiliations

- Licensed member of the Opticians Board of Ireland

- Fellow of the Association of Optometrists, Ireland (FAOI)
 
- Member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)

- Former Member of British Universities Committee of Contact Lens Educators (BUCCLE)

- Founder member of Irish Vision Research Organisation

- Member of the Irish Contact Lens Society (ICLS)

Professional Experience

March 2010: National Optometry Centre, Dublin, Ireland – Audit committee member

October 2008: Principal Investigator Irish Aid/HEA research initiative – Mozambique Eyecare Project

September 2007: DIT Lead Scientist investigating Visual Performance and Macular Pigment.

September 2006: Appointed Research Coordinator for Department of Optometry, D.I.T.

January 2006: Elected to management board for D.I.T. Healthcare, Lifestyle and Habitat project

January 2005 – May 2005: Acting Head of Department of Optometry

January 2004: Elected associate member of British universities committee of contact lens educators (BUCCLE)

January 2003 to date: D.I.T. Optometry liaison to Institute of Ophthalmology and Mater Hospital, Dublin

January 2001 to date: Lecturer in Optometry, D.I.T.

July 1997 to date: Practicing Optometrist

Short Biography

Aside from optometry lecturing duties, for the past 10 years James has endeavoured to enhance the research capacity of the Optometry Department at Dublin Institute of Technology, principally through the development of collaborative synergies with other Institutions. He is currently involved in numerous active research projects involving 8 postgraduate students and collaborating partners from Dublin Institute of Technology, Waterford Institute of Technology, University of Ulster (Coleraine), Moorfields Eye Hospital (London), Universidade Lurio (Mozambique), The International Centre for Eyecare Education (South Africa) and the University of Kwazulu Natal (South Africa). Clinical studies currently include collaborative AMD and visual performance studies with the Macular Pigment Research Group (MPRG) in WIT, glaucoma projects and cataract (visual performance) investigations. He is currently principal investigator for an Irish Aid funded 5-year initiative to address poverty and health complexes in Africa, through an innovative optometric training scheme (visit www.mozeyecare.org for details).

James has recently established and is director and National Chair of the Irish chapter of Optometry Giving Sight, the only global fundraising initiative that specifically targets the prevention of blindness and impaired vision due to uncorrected refractive error (URE). James’ ambitions for the charity are (1) to provide an unprecedented opportunity for Optometry in Ireland (North and South) to make a coordinated and significant impact in the prevention of blindness, and (2) to support projects directed to the prevention and/or correction of refractive error in eyes as a cause of avoidable vision loss and blindness, thus relieving poverty and advancing education for the benefit of the community (visit http://www.givingsight.org/ogs_worldwide/ireland/local_activities.asp for details).

Clinical Specialities

Macular Pigment, AMD, Glaucoma, Visual Attention, Psychophysical Techniques, Advanced Investigative Techniques, Epidemiology, Eyecare in Developing Nations