Anglia Ruskin University

Professor Rupert Bourne is a consultant ophthalmic surgeon at Hinchingbrooke, Moorfields Eye and Addenbrooke's Hospitals in addition to being Professor of Ophthalmology at ARU. His research interests include the global impact of eye disease, principally glaucoma.

Professor Bourne is a principal investigator for several glaucoma-related clinical trials. He has written numerous research publications on large population-based studies dealing with the epidemiology of eye diseases in various countries including Greenland, Thailand, Pakistan and Bangladesh. He currently coordinates an international group on the burden of global eye disease for the World Health Organisation and is active in promoting the integration of optometrists into shared care of glaucoma sufferers.

Professor Bourne's main remit in VERU will be to involve VERU directly as the principal site, or as collaborative partnership site, in clinical research trials involving NHS and non-NHS patients and to facilitate further collaboration of VERU with the NHS, industry and other academic institutions.

Professor Roger Buckley is a consultant ophthalmologist who for the last 13 years has held professorial appointments in the optometry departments of two British universities. He is currently Professor of Ocular Medicine at Anglia Ruskin University and he carries out clinical work at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

Professor Buckley brings to the Vision and Eye Research Unit his expertise in corneal medicine, ocular surface disease including tear deficiency, allergic eye disease, and contact lens medicine. He is actively involved in research into the management of tear deficiency, the management of keratoconus, the structure and function of the corneal endothelium, and the prevention of ocular infection. His involvement in optometric education has led to his primary role in the compilation of clinical management guidelines for optometrists qualified in therapeutic prescribing, which remain under continuous review.

Professor Buckley will work with industry in a number of ways, aiming always to involve VERU in clinical trial work. These clinical trials (of drugs, contact lenses and solutions) will involve both NHS patients and non-NHS subjects.