Congratulations to Foresight’s medical advisor, team leader and board member, Associate Professor Geoffrey Painter who was awarded a Member (AM) in the general division of the Order of Australia for significant service to medicine in the field of ophthalmology, and to international relations, particularly to eye health in Asia and the Pacific.

Assoc Prof Painter graduated in medicine from the University of Sydney 1983. Following residency at Royal North Shore Hospital, ophthalmic training was undertaken at Sydney Eye Hospital from 1988 – 1992, including the Professorial Senior Registrar position with the Save Sight Institute. A cataract and glaucoma fellowship was then undertaken at Addenbrook’s Hospital, Cambridge, United Kingdom. On completion of training, private practice was established at Gordon, New South Wales, in general ophthalmology with a special emphasis on cataract surgery and glaucoma management. Dr Painter volunteered to join the Pacific Islands Project (PIP) of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons in 1995 with the first trip being to the Solomon Islands in 1996. Since then ten (15) further visits have been undertaken to the Solomon Islands with PIP.

More recently he has been involved with Foresight’s Avoidable Blindness Initiative project in the Solomon’s. He has also worked with projects in China and the Philippines. Assoc Prof Painter was appointed PIP ophthalmic coordinator in 2000 and is currently secretary of the Overseas Development Special Interest Group and a member of the International Ophthalmology Committee of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists. He has been a Foresight Medical Advisor since the late 1990’s and was appointed to the board of Foresight in 2003.

We are delighted that Geoffrey’s outstanding commitment to reducing blindness has been recognised. We are proud to have his ongoing support and assistance.