EyePod: The optometry podcast

College Clinical Adviser Denise Voon MCOptom talks to Dr Debarun Dutta MCOptom, clinical scientist, Director of Research and Senior Lecturer at Aston University, where he leads contact lens education.

In 2025, Debarun received the Frank Petticrew Award for contact lens research at the College of Optometrists Diploma ceremony, recognising his work on antimicrobial contact lenses and technologies to make rigid gas permeable (RGP) lenses more comfortable. He shares what drives his research and what it could mean for practice.

We also catch up with Eve Barrett, who has just started her PhD at Ulster University, as we begin following her journey through postgraduate research.

Recorded in front of a live audience at Optometry Tomorrow, this special episode of EyePod brings together the College's clinical advisers for an open, practical conversation about the issues optometrists are facing right now.

College Clinical Adviser Denise Voon MCOptom talks to Dr Parth Shah MCOptom, optometrist and sports vision consultant to a Premier League football club, about his career at the intersection of optometry and sport.

They discuss how goalkeepers are trained to track and react to the ball, what optometry can bring to professional football, and how the science of sports vision applies in everyday practice.

College Clinical Adviser Denise Voon MCOptom talks to Marsha de Cordova, Labour MP for Battersea, and Shockat Adam, Independent MP for Leicester South, about their work in Westminster advocating for eye care professionals in England.

They discuss their connections to eye health, the current challenges facing the sector, and what College members can do to help champion the profession.

College Clinical Advisor Denise Voon MCOptom talks to Dr Louise Gow, Head of Eye Health, Optometry and Low Vision, and Preeti Singla, Optometry and Low Vision Engagement Manager, both at the RNIB.

They discuss their work developing the Adult Low Vision Service Quality Framework, which was created to define best practice for low vision services in any setting across the UK.

At the end of another busy year for the College, Clinical Advisers Dr Paramdeep Bilkhu MCOptom and Daniel Hardiman-McCartney FCOptom MBE discuss the main highlights from this year and what we can expect going into 2026.

Further information

• #TheCollegeWrapped: Our achievements from January to March 2025
• #TheCollegeWrapped: Our achievements from April to June 2025
• #TheCollegeWrapped: Our achievements from July to September 2025
• #TheCollegeWrapped: Our achievements from October to December 2025

College Clinical Advisers Denise Voon MCOptom, Dr Paramdeep Bilkhu MCOptom, and Daniel Hardiman-McCartney FCOptom MBE discuss the recent news from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) approving the first low-dose atropine treatment for myopia in the UK. 

They talk about what the news means for optometrists and answer questions from College members. 

Further information

• Myopia management
• Guidance for assessing and managing children with myopia
• MHRA approves first licensed low-dose atropine treatment for childhood myopia in the UK

Expanding Prescribing Scope of Practice - Royal Pharmaceutical Society

Four optometry students at different stages of their optometry journey share insights about their experience so far.

They talk about why they chose optometry, how they've found their courses so far and share advice and tips for succeeding and getting the most out of your time at university.

Further information

• Student resources

• A career in optometry

• Sign up for College student membership

Starting your journey in optometry can feel overwhelming, but you’re not alone. In this episode, College Clinical Adviser Denise Voon MCOptom talks to Dr Sam Strong, Lecturer of Vision Science at Aston University, about how optometry students can make the most of their time at university.

They discuss tips and advice for navigating coursework and clinical training, the importance of asking questions and speaking to someone if you need help or support, and how you should always be open to new opportunities.

• College student resources

College Clinical Adviser Denise Voon MCOptom speaks to Nazaradden Ibrahim, Global Technical Lead for Eye Health in the West Africa Region for the charity Sightsavers.

They discuss the work of Sightsavers, including how they operate in different countries, the challenges they face, and the role that optometrists and other health workers have in their work.

• Sightsavers