Meet the experts
Our team of optometrist media experts are happy to answer your questions
From the importance of children’s vision to driving and technology, our expert advisers can help with any eye-related stories. Here at the AOP, we care about the public’s eye health. We work with the media on a range of different topics, from the importance of sight tests, to top tips for eye care and the important role that optometrists play protecting the nation’s vision.
Dr Peter Hampson
With a career spanning approximately 20 years, Dr Peter Hampson is an optometrist and the AOP’s Clinical Director. Peter’s AOP role includes civil negligence, regulation, policy and providing training and education and he has an active interest in glaucoma, medical retina, artificial intelligence, Bayesian analysis and the future of optometry.
Peter draws on his extensive background in independent practice and education to provide expert media comment on eye health and eye care. His appearances include Sky, BBC News and advisory pieces for The Times, Telegraph and Daily Mail.
Henry Leonard
Henry is the Professional Adviser to the AOP.
After graduating from Aston University in 2002, Henry undertook his pre-registration year in multiple practice, during which he was awarded second prize in the pan-European Essilor Varilux University essay competition. Since qualifying, Henry has worked for independent opticians, small groups and multiples, and has been an active member of his Local Optical Committee for over 10 years, most recently taking on the role of Clinical Governance Lead.
Henry has a particular interest in IT, having developed the AOP’s GOS audit tool, which allows contractors in England to audit their GOS claiming. Henry has also been involved in charity work, travelling to Tibet in 2006 to help set up an optometry clinic in the remote town of Yushu on behalf of ROKPA, a medical charity working in Tibet, Nepal and Zimbabwe.
Ceri Smith-Jaynes
Ceri has 15 years’ experience in high street practice and can usually be found examining the eyes of patients at an independent practice Cottam and Glaister Optometrists. Her special areas of interest are dry eyes, sports vision and complex contact lenses. Ceri has previously worked in a hospital glaucoma clinic, supervised young opticians through their qualifications, hosted training sessions for her peers and spoken on BBC Radio Lancashire on a number of eye topics.
Farah Topia
Farah is a Clinical Adviser at the AOP, providing clinical and regulatory advice to the organisation and its members. Farah is a specialist optometrist and holds a professional diploma in glaucoma. She is also qualified as an independent prescriber.
Farah has over 12 years of extensive experience in hospital optometry and community optometry where she continues to practise. She has also taught and examined both undergraduates and postgraduates and supervised trainee optometrists.
Farah has spoken regularly on TV and the radio on eye health issues from vision and driving to children’s eye health.
Roshni Kanabar
Roshni is an optometrist, Visiting Clinical Tutor at City University and a Clinical and Regulatory Adviser for the AOP. She has over seven years’ experience in different roles at large multiple opticians as well as independent ones.
Roshni works part time for an independent optician and is training to become a behavioural optometrist.
Roshni regularly appears on TV and radio as an expert optometrist on a variety of issues from smoking and eye health, industry news to general eyecare advice.
Dr Julie-Anne Little
Julie-Anne is a researcher with specialist experience working in hospital with children with visual impairment and special needs and an AOP Councillor for Northern Ireland. She has a PhD in vision science and is a lecturer in optometry at the University of Ulster. Julie-Anne’s research interests concern paediatric vision and the impact of intellectual disability on vision. She has also presented her research at several international scientific meetings and in peer-reviewed scientific journals.
For more information please contact Serena Box, PR and Media Manager, at [email protected] or telephone 020 7549 2040.
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