Professor Shahina Pardhan receives Muslim News accolade

The first female professor of optometry was honoured with the Ibn Sina award for Excellence in Health at the Muslim News awards on 14 July.

Optometrist and Anglia Ruskin University academic, Professor Shahina Pardhan OBE, received the accolade from health secretary, Wes Streeting, at a gala dinner in London.

The Muslim News awards celebrate the achievements of British Muslims across a wide range of sectors, including education, humanitarian work, media and health.

During her acceptance speech, Pardhan acknowledged the contribution of the award’s namesake.

“To be recognised in connection with Ibn Sina, the founder of early modern medicine, is both an honour and humbling. The award is a reminder of the novel purpose that binds us all in healthcare – to heal, to serve, and to reach those in greatest need,” she said.

Pardhan, who became a professor of optometry in 2001, has authored 255 peer-reviewed papers. Resources that she developed in 15 different languages to increase the uptake of vision screening are estimated to have helped 163,000 people at risk of avoidable sight loss.

“I stand here today committing the rest of my professional life to advancing eye health for those most at risk of blindness, especially in vulnerable communities where simple interventions can change a life or save one,” Pardhan said.

The full list of winners of from this year’s Muslim News awards can be accessed online.

Read more

“Prevention of eye diseases in the community is vital”

Professor Shahina Pardhan on her beginnings in Tanzania and her long career in research