Summary

Summary

Professor O’Brien is a glaucoma specialist and a clinician scientist with a long track record of translational research in glaucoma and a keen interest in mentoring trainee clinicians and scientists. The current interests of his research group include the cellular mechanisms that underlie the fibrotic pathological changes in the optic nerve and trabecular meshwork, including genetic and epigenetic alterations.

The research also explores new therapeutic interventions including nutritional supplementation to improve visual function in glaucoma. He has also published on quality of life issues, ocular blood flow and trend analysis of visual field progression in glaucoma. He has published 180 peer-reviewed publications, has a h-index 44 (ResearchGate), and has supervised 42 higher degrees to completion (PhD, MSc, MD)

Biography

Biography

Medical school at University College Cork, did postgraduate ophthalmology training in London, Windsor and Liverpool, and undertook 2 glaucoma fellowships (Prof B Schwartz, USA and Prof  RA Hitchings, UK), Awarded the Ainsworth Scholarship to do research in Boston, and awarded the MD higher degree for a thesis ‘The rate of visual field  loss in glaucoma’.

Appointments

  • Professor of Ophthalmology,  University College Dublin
  • Consultant Glaucoma Specialist,  Mater Misericordiae  University Hospital
  • Ophthalmology Executive Clinical Director, Ireland East Hospital Group
  • Scientist Advisory Board, Glaucoma Foundation, New York
  • Co-Ordinator ENT/Ophthalmology Undergraduate Module, University College Dublin

Previous Appointments

  • Associate Director,  UCD Clinical Research Centre 2015 -8
  • Scientific Committee,  Moorfields Eye Charity London 2013 -8
  • Chairman, Glaucoma Program Committee, ARVO, 2013
  • Chairman, UK and Eire Glaucoma Society 2008
  • Chairman, Irish Glaucoma Patients Association, 1999-2002
  • Committee, National Council for the Blind Ireland, 2002-2010
180
Research Papers
42
Supervised Research Degrees
44
H-Index