- Professor Bernard Gilmartin is an emeritus professor of optometry at Aston University
- The Optician Awards are judged by a panel of experts from across the optical business and academic community
- The Outstanding Achievement Award recognised Professor Gilmartin’s contribution to optometry research as the “godfather of myopia”
Aston University emeritus professor of optometry Professor Bernard Gilmartin has won the Outstanding Achievement Award at the Optician Awards.
The awards are presented by Optician, the UK’s leading optical magazine, which has been published weekly since 1891. The award ceremony takes place at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane in London and the 2024 ceremony, which took place on 22 November, was hosted by radio and television presenter Colin Murray.
The 18 awards cover all aspects of the UK optical profession and retail business. They are judged by a panel of experts from across the optical business and academic community.
The Outstanding Achievement Award is sponsored by healthcare firm Topcon and was judged by a panel of experts from across the optical business and academic community. Professor Gilmartin, who first joined Aston University in 1974 as a lecturer, was recognised for his extensive research into myopia (shortsightedness) over his long career.
Professor Gilmartin’s award was presented by Topcon managing director Andrew Yorke and accepted on Professor Gilmartin’s behalf by Professor Shehzad Naroo, who himself recently picked up an award from the College of Optometrists.
The judges said:
“Optics is blessed with a legion of dedicated professionals who have devoted their lives to the visual needs of others. The judges discussed a number of nominations and agonised over picking a single name from such an august list.
“The panel chose our winner not just for the work they have been recognised for but the continuing talent pool they have spawned. One judge described our winner as the godfather of myopia, another said he had created a global legacy of talent in myopia. He’s a man who mentors, enthuses and educates others without ever talking down.”
Professor Gilmartin said:
"It is a great honour to receive this award and I feel a great sense of gratitude for the support I have received throughout my career from Aston University, The College of Optometrists, and from the many international and national colleagues, especially those whom I was fortunate to be their PhD supervisor. I joined the first honours degree course at the City University in 1965 and it has been a privilege to see how the profession has developed across many spheres of clinical work, teaching and research."
- Notes to editors
About Aston University
For over a century, Aston University’s enduring purpose has been to make our world a better place through education, research and innovation, by enabling our students to succeed in work and life, and by supporting our communities to thrive economically, socially and culturally.
Aston University’s history has been intertwined with the history of Birmingham, a remarkable city that once was the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and the manufacturing powerhouse of the world.
Born out of the First Industrial Revolution, Aston University has a proud and distinct heritage dating back to our formation as the School of Metallurgy in 1875, the first UK College of Technology in 1951, gaining university status by Royal Charter in 1966, and becoming the Guardian University of the Year in 2020.
Building on our outstanding past, we are now defining our place and role in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, contact Helen Tunnicliffe, Press and Communications Manager, on (+44) 7827 090240 or email: h.tunnicliffe@aston.ac.uk.
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