Edition 2021

International Optometrist of the Year Award 2021

Colm McAlinden is one of the few vision professionals who is both an optometrist and an ophthalmologist. He originally graduated in Optometry from Cardiff University, followed by a pre-registration year at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, and then completed a Master’s and PhD in refractive surgery.

He later undertook a postdoctoral research fellowship at Flinders University in Australia before entering medical school, where he earned his degree in medicine and surgery (MB BCh) with elective periods at the Boston Keratoprosthesis Group at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Harvard University, and the Cornea Department at Hôpital de la Timone, Marseille, France.

He then undertook clinical medicine and surgery positions in Wales and Bristol, during which time he was awarded a PhD for his research. Afterwards, Colm entered ophthalmology specialist training (resident intern) in Wales and was awarded, by examination, the prestigious fellowship status at both the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (FRCOphth) and the European Board of Ophthalmology (FEBO).

Colm currently works at the Swansea Bay University Health Board and is a visiting professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.

His research interests are broad, including patient-reported outcome psychometrics, the cornea, cataracts and refractive surgery, ophthalmic instrumentation assessment, public health, and epidemiology.

Colm developed the Quality of Vision (QoV) questionnaire, which has become a widely used tool to evaluate outcomes of cataract and refractive surgery in clinical practice, research studies, and clinical trials.

He is a prolific researcher, with over 145 peer-reviewed publications and numerous awards. He serves on the editorial boards of six peer-reviewed journals, including Eye and Vision.

Colm McAlinden

Optometrist & Ophthalmologist

Swansea Bay University Health Board. Visiting Professor at the Eye Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.