Nathan Efron (born 3 September 1954) is an Australian and British

optometrist Optometry is the healthcare practice concerned with examining the eyes for visual defects, prescribing corrective lenses, and detecting eye abnormalities. In the United States and Canada, optometrists are those that hold a post-baccalaureate f ...

and an author of numerous research papers and nine books.

Biography

Efron received undergraduate and Ph.D. degrees at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

in 1981 and the same year became a

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

of the

Contact Lens Society of Australia Contact may refer to: Interaction Physical interaction * Contact (geology), a common geological feature * Contact lens or contact, a lens placed on the eye * Contact sport, a sport in which players make contact with other players or objects * C ...

. He left for postdoctoral studies at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

and the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949. The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...

. He returned to Melbourne as a lecturer then senior lecturer before becoming the chair of clinical optometry at the

University of Manchester The University of Manchester is a public university, public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre, Manchester City Centre on Wilmslow Road, Oxford Road. The University of Manchester is c ...

in 1990. He became a founding

chairman The chair, also chairman, chairwoman, or chairperson, is the presiding officer of an organized group such as a board, committee, or deliberative assembly. The person holding the office, who is typically elected or appointed by members of the gro ...

of the clinical optometry at the

, England where he also founded a

contact lens Contact lenses, or simply contacts, are thin lenses placed directly on the surface of the eyes. Contact lenses are ocular prosthetic devices used by over 150 million people worldwide, and they can be worn to correct vision or for cosmetic ...

research unit known as Eurolens Research. Efron has served as president of the

Australian College of Optometry The Australian College of Optometry (ACO) is an Australian non-profit working to improve the eye health and well-being of various Australian communities. Established in 1940, the ACO's goal is to deliver public health optometry, vision resear ...

since 2012. A recipient of a

Doctor of Science A Doctor of Science (; most commonly abbreviated DSc or ScD) is a science doctorate awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. Africa Algeria and Morocco In Algeria, Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, all universities accredited by the s ...

from Manchester, Efron is also a past president of the

British Contact Lens Association The British Contact Lens Association is an educational and scientific membership organisation formed in 1977. In 2013 it had 2000 members. It organises an annual clinical conference and exhibition. In 2015 the main themes were myopia management a ...

. In 2001 he was awarded a gold medal by the same association and began to serve as a dean at the University of Manchester from that year till 2004. In 2003 he received the Max Schapero Award and by 2006 he returned to his homeland as a research professor. He joined

Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation The Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation (IHBI) was an Australian collaborative medical research institute established in 2000 and based at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Queensland. While the bulk of the ins ...

School of Optometry A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of fo ...

Queensland University of Technology The Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a public university, public research university located in the city of Brisbane in Queensland, Australia. It has two major campuses, a modern city campus in Gardens Point, Brisbane, Gardens Point ...

the same year and currently has grants from the

National Health and Medical Research Council The National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is the main statutory authority of the Australian Government responsible for medical research. It was the eighth largest research funding body in the world in 2016, and NHMRC-funded res ...

, the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation International and the George Weaber Foundation Trust. in 2015, he was honoured in the Queens Birthdays honours list.

References

1954 births Living people Australian optometrists British ophthalmologists University of Melbourne alumni Academic staff of the University of Melbourne Academics of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology Academic staff of Queensland University of Technology Companions of the Order of Australia {{UK-med-bio-stub