Eyes On Tomorrow

In our third World Sight Day special, Eyes on Tomorrow is joined by Kathleen Sherwin, the dynamic new President and CEO of Orbis International, who brings 25 years of experience in global health and development to this role.

Having visited Orbis programmes across 30 countries in just nine months, Kathleen has seen first-hand both the scale of the challenge and the opportunities to transform global eye care.

She shares her vision for tackling the rising tide of preventable sight loss: “We already know many of the solutions—now we need to scale them.”

We explore why eye health must move beyond the ophthalmology clinic and be recognised by governments as a driver of education, equality and economic prosperity; why sustainable change requires strong leadership at local, national and global levels; and how Orbis plans to work in partnership with governments to expand its impact around the world.

But expansion isn’t simply about reaching more countries. Kathleen explains why Orbis wants to go deeper in the countries where it already works, building comprehensive eye-care services across communities and strengthening local healthcare systems for the long term.

We hear about plans to increase Flying Eye Hospital missions, training more ophthalmologists, nurses and anaesthetists alongside long-term hospital-based programmes; and to expand Cybersight and its AI capabilities, democratising access to world-class ophthalmic education and clinical expertise wherever clinicians happen to be.

Kathleen also explains how the next generation of Women-Led Green Vision Centres could go far beyond eye care—integrating ophthalmic services with maternity and children’s healthcare, making it easier for women and their families to access multiple essential services closer to home.

And in countries affected by conflict, displacement and natural disasters, we discuss a different challenge: how Orbis can link humanitarian aid to its established programmes and local partnerships, providing an immediate response while strengthening rather than bypassing existing healthcare systems.

The solutions exist. The expertise exists. The challenge now is scale, integration and access.

This World Sight Day, Kathleen Sherwin joins Eyes on Tomorrow to share an ambitious vision for how Orbis can help deliver high-quality eye care to everyone, wherever they live.

From a three-year cataract wait to just six weeks — Ireland is rethinking how and where eye care is delivered.

In this episode of Eyes on Tomorrow, we’re joined by Aoife Doyle, Geraldine Comer, Eimear Henry and Bobby Tang to explore the rapidly evolving specialty of Medical Ophthalmology and the development of Integrated Eye Care teams across Ireland.

Led by Consultant Medical Ophthalmologists, these multidisciplinary teams bring together optometrists, orthoptists and other allied health professionals to deliver cataract, glaucoma, medical retina and paediatric eye care in the community closer to patients’ homes.

We hear how Medical Ophthalmology is developing into an exciting career pathway, with subspecialty fellowship-level training and consultant posts combining community eye care with specialist hospital clinics.

And the results are already impressive. In Galway, cataract waiting times have fallen from three years to just six weeks, while improved referral pathways mean 90% of patients referred now proceed to surgery.

We also explore the next frontier: glaucoma referral refinement, linking community optometrists directly with Integrated Eye Care teams.

Is this the blueprint for the future of community based ophthalmic care in Ireland?

Join us on Eyes on Tomorrow as we discover how a new model of eye care is moving expertise out of the hospital, into the community — and transforming the patient journey.

The word pioneer is often overused, but this month’s guest on Eyes on Tomorrow genuinely deserves the title.

Sheraz Daya, Chairman and Medical Director of Centre for Sight, has spent his career pushing the boundaries of cataract, corneal and refractive surgery.

His remarkable journey has taken him from Dar es Salaam to Dublin, Belfast to Brooklyn, Minnesota to East Grinstead — and along the way he has helped shape modern refractive surgery.

Sheraz performed the UK’s first LASIK procedure in 1994, introduced femtosecond laser technology to the UK in 2004, pioneered advances in corneal transplantation and stem cell therapy, and founded the American-European Congress of Ophthalmic Surgery.

In this episode, Sheraz tells us about the trials and tribulations of being an early LASIK adopter, gives us his views on FLACS, explains the transformational potential of stem cell transplantation, and explores the technologies that continue to push the boundaries of refractive surgery.

And in our Bonus Episode for subscribers…Sheraz looks to the future.

Could robot-assisted cataract surgery become a reality? Do we need a more patient-friendly way of describing IOLs? What are the latest developments in implantable contact lens surgery? And what is he hoping to achieve with Infinite Medical Ventures?

Plus, after a career at the forefront of refractive surgery, Sheraz generously shares his top tips for anyone thinking of setting up a refractive surgical practice.

A career spent challenging convention and embracing innovation.

Get access to bonus episodes, along with a host of CPD resources, when you subscribe for only £25 per year at https://eyesontomorrow.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks to Topcon Healthcare and Thea UK for supporting Eyes on Tomorrow.

Produced by Matt Hill at Rethink Audio.

For our August Summer Special, we’ve gone back through six months of Eyes on Tomorrow conversations to bring you some of our favourite moments — the ones that made us think, made us laugh, and occasionally caught us completely off guard.

This episode is split into three themes:

Forks in the Road - the chance meetings and unexpected turns that shaped our guests’ careers. Including how a £20 LinkedIn Premium subscription helped set Pearse Keane on the path toward AI in ophthalmology, and the weekend that nearly saw Keith Martin leave medicine altogether.

Eyes on the Future - our guests’ visions for where the specialty is heading, from oculomics to AI-assisted decision-making to robot-assisted cataract surgery.

Away from the Clinic - some of our favourite answers to the quirky questions we ask every guest at the end of the podcast.

Featuring conversations with Pearse Keane, Keith Martin, Dan Milea, Ramesh Kekunnaya, Uday Devgan, Bita Manzouri, Purvi Thomson and Elizabeth Lumb.

Three of our featured guests — Pearse Keane, Keith Martin and Dan Milea — were named on The Ophthalmologist Power List 2025, recognised for their influence and impact across Innovation, Glaucoma and Neuro-ophthalmology respectively.

Get access to bonus episodes, along with a host of CPD resources, when you subscribe for only £25 per year at https://eyesontomorrow.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks to Topcon Healthcare and Thea UK for supporting Eyes on Tomorrow.

Produced by Matt Hill at Rethink Audio.

How did the UK’s first pioneers of IPL treatment for dry eyes make their mark? In this episode of Eyes on Tomorrow, we’re joined by renowned optometrists Connan Tam and Minakshi Jain, who share the journey that took them from working at Moorfields Eye Hospital and Great Ormond Street Hospital to establishing one of the UK’s leading dedicated Dry Eye Centres.

We explore some of the most exciting developments in dry eye care, including:

* The emerging role of tear film biomarkers and their connection to ocular and systemic disease

* How their IPL and low-level light (LLL) treatment protocols continue to evolve

* Where punctal occlusion fits into modern management, including their experience with Lacrifill canalicular gel

Connan and Minakshi also discuss why continuous learning is essential to delivering the very latest evidence-based treatments for patients.

And in the bonus episode for subscribers, they provide a practical, step-by-step guide to building a successful dry eye practice—from getting started with limited resources to scaling your clinic—and share the lessons they’ve learned, the mistakes to avoid, and the strategies that have helped them overcome common challenges.

Whether you’re passionate about ocular surface disease or looking to grow your own dry eye service, this episode is packed with practical insights, clinical pearls, and real-world advice.

This episode also features additional support from Nordic Pharma.

Get access to bonus episodes, along with a host of CPD resources, when you subscribe for only £25 per year at https://eyesontomorrow.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks to Topcon Healthcare and Thea UK for supporting Eyes on Tomorrow.

Produced by Matt Hill at Rethink Audio.

What happens when one of the world’s best-known cataract surgeons sits down with Eyes on Tomorrow? You get an honest, insightful, and occasionally controversial conversation with the man behind Cataract Coach — Professor Uday Devgan.

Recorded in Galway, this episode goes beyond the operating microscope as Uday shares the philosophy behind his hugely influential “no secrets” approach to surgical education, the story of how Cataract Coach became a global phenomenon, and the lessons every young surgeon should hear about building a practice, managing patient expectations, and staying calm when complications strike.

We also dive into social media, surgical teaching on YouTube and Instagram, why ESCRS is the first meeting in his diary — and yes, whether FLACS is really for surgeons who can’t create a perfect rhexis.

In our subscriber bonus episode, we look ahead to the future of cataract surgery:

* Will robot-assisted surgery reduce complications?

* Are we finally getting closer to a truly accommodating IOL?

* And what innovations are actually worth the hype?

Always entertaining, always candid — this is The Cataract Coach Uncovered with Professor Uday Devgan.

Get access to bonus episodes, along with a host of CPD resources, when you subscribe for only £25 per year at https://eyesontomorrow.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks to Topcon Healthcare and Thea UK for supporting Eyes on Tomorrow.

Produced by Matt Hill at Rethink Audio.

It’s our first episode dedicated to paediatric ophthalmology - and we’re joined by one of the world’s leading experts - Professor Ramesh Kekunnaya, Head of Paediatric Ophthalmology, Strabismus and Neuro-ophthalmology at the LV Prasad Eye Institute in Hyderabad, author of more than 250 publications, and one of the founding members of the World Society of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus.

This episode is packed with practical insights and the hottest topics shaping paediatric eye care today. We dive into:

• How Ramesh decides whether - and when - to implant an IOL in a child’s eye• The big question in infant cataract surgery: is it actually safer to wait longer?• What the WSPOS Myopia Consensus means for clinicians and parents navigating treatment options• How telemedicine and AI are transforming the screening and treatment of ROP

And we also go back to fundamentals - with Ramesh sharing his top tips for examining infants and young children, plus an inside look at how the LV Prasad network delivers eye care to an astonishing 30 million people.

And for subscribers, the Bonus episode goes even deeper:

• Emerging myopia treatments - from blue-light therapy delivered with virtual reality headsets to competing defocus technologies.• A customised approach to treatment: where to start, what to combine, and when to escalate• The role of peripheral refraction - and how to actually measure it• Red flags for syndromic and retinal dystrophy-related myopia

To access all Bonus episodes and our monthly newsletters, head to Eyes on Tomorrow on Substack

Special thanks to Topcon Healthcare and Théa UK for supporting the podcast - and to Matt Hill and the Rethink Audio team for bringing it all together.

This month we’re bringing together three powerhouse women shaping the future of eye care: Purvi Thomson, Head Optometrist at OCL Vision; Bita Manzouri, Consultant Corneal and Cataract Surgeon and President-Elect of UKISCRS; and Elizabeth Lumb, Director of Global Professional Affairs, Myopia, at CooperVision.

Recorded just after International Women’s Day, this special panel episode is an honest, inspiring and thought-provoking conversation about the realities of leadership for women across optometry, ophthalmology and industry.

Together, they explore why visibility matters, how Covid transformed working patterns, the pressure of balancing careers and caregiving, and the crucial role played by mentors, allies and sponsors. They also tackle the persistent challenge of imposter syndrome and the unconscious bias that still exists in today’s workplace.

The message is clear: huge progress has been made over the past 20 years — but there is still more to do to ensure women can truly reach their full potential.

This is a conversation about resilience, change and what comes next.

Get access to bonus episodes, along with a host of CPD resources, when you subscribe for only £25 per year at https://eyesontomorrow.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks to Topcon Healthcare and Thea UK for supporting Eyes on Tomorrow.

Produced by Matt Hill at Rethink Audio.

Are Neuroprotection and Neural Regeneration therapies coming of age? Professor Keith Martin, Director of the Centre for Eye Research Australia, shares how cutting-edge  research in neuroprotection and neural regeneration could transform how we treat glaucoma.

Tracing his journey from his PhD work with Harry Quigley in Baltimore, through the Cambridge Centre for Brain Repair, to leading CERA in Melbourne, Keith explores breakthroughs that move beyond pressure control — targeting the health and recovery of retinal ganglion cells themselves.

Emerging approaches include:

Delivering neurotrophic growth factors to protect retinal ganglion cells

Using Vitamin B3 to reduce oxidative stress

Activating intrinsic growth pathways to regenerate optic nerve axons

Transplanting stem-cell–derived retinal ganglion cells to restore lost vision

Keith also challenges long-standing practices in  glaucoma care. Are clinicians wasting time and resources  over-treating mild disease that may never threaten vision? And why are we still treating  primary open-angle glaucoma as one condition, rather than defining the distinct phenotypes and providing personalised therapy?

The future, he argues, lies in combination therapy: pairing traditional IOP control with regenerative and neuroprotective treatments to stop — and potentially reverse — vision loss.

Bonus Content

This month’s Bonus episode for subscribers includes insights into;

How OCT is reshaping glaucoma referrals in optometric practice

AI models outperforming specialists in predicting visual field loss from disc OCT appearances 

Home monitoring for IOP and visual fields

A promising new glaucoma device on the horizon

One thing is clear: the future of glaucoma care goes far beyond just lowering the IOP.

Get access to this Bonus episode, along with a host of CPD resources, when you subscribe for only £25 per year at https://eyesontomorrow.substack.com/subscribe

Thanks to Topcon Healthcare and Thea UK for supporting Eyes on Tomorrow.

Produced by Matt Hill at Rethink Audio.

The work of the BONSAI (Brain and Optic Nerve Study with Artificial Intelligence) group will change the way we pratice. So a perfect time, then, to meet Dan Milea, Head of Neuro-ophthalmology at the Rothschild Foundation Hospital in Paris, Head of the Visual Neuroscience Group at the Singapore Eye Research Institute, and a founding member of the BONSAI group.

Recorded in his Parisian offices within the iconic L’Espace Niemeyer - the striking headquarters of the French Communist Party - Dermot and John explore how groundbreaking AI and deep learning algorithms, developed by the BONSAI collaborators, could transform the way clinicians navigate some of neuro-ophthalmology’s most challenging diagnostic dilemmas.

Together, we unpack the questions clinicians face every day:

* Does this child with headaches have papilloedema?

* Is an elderly patient’s optic disc swelling arteritic or non-arteritic AION?

* Could this suspected optic neuritis be due to demyelination?

Dan also reflects on the striking differences in the incidence of optic neuritis, giant cell arteritis, and idiopathic intracranial hypertension between the Far East and Europe and why, when 50% of neuro-ophthalmological emergencies are misdiagnosed at presentation, the growing global shortage of neuro-ophthalmologists is of grave concern.

Bonus Content

Subscribers can dive deeper in our Bonus episode, where we discuss the rising tide of idiopathic intracranial hypertension in the West, the emerging therapeutic role of GLP-1 agonists, and explore three of Dan’s most influential papers featured in this month’s newsletter.

Join us for a fascinating look at how East meets West - and how AI may soon be available to support clinical decision making and improve diagnostic accuracy, for many common neuro-ophthalmic conditions.

Eyes on Tomorrow is supported by Topcon Healthcare and Thea UK.

Produced by Matt Hill at Rethink Audio.