New Zealand Professor Charles McGhee has been named as one of the Top 100 most influential people in ophthalmology today.
Prof McGhee, the Maurice Paykel Professor and Chair of Ophthalmology at the University of Auckland, is the only New Zealander to have made the prestigious Ophthalmologist Power List. Published each year for the last three years, the list is put together by the UK-based journal The Ophthalmologist which, supported with a reader vote, selects what it believes are the top 100 surgeons, clinicians, company directors and scientists who have made a significant international contribution to the field of ophthalmology.
“We realise our Power Lists can, and should, never be definitive,” said The Ophthalmologist. “But who can argue that the faces within, both familiar and new, do not beautifully highlight the brilliance and diversity found within the field? Accordingly, we bring you 100 reasons to be proud of ophthalmology.”
Prof McGhee is a clinician-scientist and senior ophthalmic surgeon who has published 312 peer-reviewed articles, supervised 34 research fellows, 21 of which were doctoral candidates, and was awarded a Doctor of Science recognising his contribution to research in cataract, keratoconus, inherited dystrophies, keratitis, corneal transplantation, stem cells, corneal imaging, ocular corticosteroids and ocular imaging. He is the current president of the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO), the elected Chair of Academia Ophthalamologica Internationalis and the founding director of the New Zealand National Eye Centre.
“New Zealand is privileged to have one of the Top 100 ophthalmologists contributing to our eye health,” said Dr Samantha Simkin, therapeutic optometrist and Auckland University post-doctoral fellow in ophthalmology. “All who have worked with him can attest to his passion, drive, and persistent pursuit of knowledge and excellence. This recognition is a well-deserved acknowledgement of all Charles contributes to ophthalmology on an international scale.”
