1st July 2019

I graduated in Medicine from University of Queensland in 1990 then undertook an internship and junior medical officer training at Launceston General Hospital in 1991 and 1992, where I met my wife Michelle. I was a medical officer in the Royal Australian Air Force for six years including 18 months as Senior Medical Officer in Butterworth, Malaysia and from there relocated to Dunedin, New Zealand for my ophthalmology training.  My passion for research and teaching were nurtured at University of Otago in Dunedin, under the mentorship of Professor Antony Molteno and Associate Professor Gordon Sanderson. While in Dunedin my two sons Joshua and Benjamin were born. I continued my academic research passion becoming the inaugural vitreoretinal fellow at Auckland University. Auckland was the first of three subspecialist vitreoretinal fellowships – followed by Brighton, UK; and at Moorfield’s Eye Hospital, London before returning to Tasmania in 2004 where I provide services in vitreoretinal diseases, medical retina and cataract surgery (especially complex cataracts).

I am a Clinical Professor in Ophthalmology at the University of Tasmania and have published more than 100 peer review publications and 2 educational CD’s.  In 2008 I established a public benevolent institute status charity - Tasmanian Eye Institute, pursuing my passion for research and education and community service in Ophthalmology. I have been involved in Multicentre International and Australian clinical trials assessing intravitreal therapies in diabetic maculopathy, age-related macular degeneration and vascular occlusion.  I have also been evaluating long-term effectiveness of intravitreal anti-VEGF therapy for the treatment of macular degeneration in a large cohort of patients treated more than 10 years.  I have been an active researcher of Femtosecond laser in cataract surgery through the first prospective comparative cohort study commencing in 2012, and have now published over 25 papers in this field. I maintain an active teaching role of both registrars and medical students – our future generation of eye surgeons and doctors, and was awarded RANZCO trainer of excellence in recognition of this role. I continue to provide an active teaching role for the Dunedin RACE preparation course for final specialist exams in ophthalmology.  Tasmanian Eye Institute is also committed to developing a CRISPR gene therapy centre for Prof Alex Hewitt in Hobart.

I stay active playing squash weekly along with crossfit training, and enjoy fishing, travel and indoor skydiving.

Clinical Professor Brendan Vote