Stephanie Watson OAM, BSc, MBBS, FRANZCO, PhD, GAICD, FARVO

Professor Stephanie Watson OAM is a corneal surgeon known for her ground-breaking research in corneal therapies. She leads the Corneal Research Group at University of Sydney and is Head of the Corneal Unit at the Sydney Eye Hospital. For Sydney Nano she contributes to the executive leadership team as co-Deputy Director for Industry, Innovation and Commercialisation. As Chair, Australian Vision Research; recent past-Chair to the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology's (ARVO) Advocacy and Outreach Committee Professor Watson has contributed to policy and advocacy. Her practice is in corneal and cataract surgery in adults and children with appointments at the Sydney Eye Hospital, Sydney Children's and Prince of Wales Hospitals where she is a RANZCO trainer. The Medal of the Order of Australia was awarded for services to ophthalmology. Professor Watson was the only Australian to make the Power List of the Top 100 women in Ophthalmology in 2021 and in 2022 and 2023 the only Australian woman on the Top 100 Global Power list for all ophthalmologists. In 2023, Professor Watson was awarded the Asia Pacific Eye 100: 100 Most influential Ophthalmologists and the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Outstanding Service in Prevention of Blindness Award. She has received ARVO Silver Fellowship, New Zealand's Dorothy Potter Medal and an NSW Premier's Prize for Leadership in Innovation.