Speakers - 2026 CCLSA Webinar - The Latest Save Sight Dry Eye Research Update, Ocular surface inflammation and a New Novel Sodium Hyaluronate lubricating drop 0.4%

Professor Stephanie Watson BSc(Med) (Hons I), MBBS (Hons I), PhD, FRANZCO is an ophthalmic surgeon specialising in cataract, corneal and laser surgery; with expertise in eye disease in adults and children.

Her sub-specialty training was completed at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London and Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, UK and her PhD was awarded for developing a novel dry eye therapy.

As an international leader in research and innovation she is appointed as a Director and Professor at the Save Sight Institute, University of Sydney.

She has over 250 publications, holds international patents and is invited to speak internationally.

Prof Watson has appointments at Sydney Surgical Centre, the Sydney Eye Hospital, and Sydney Children's Hospital. She is Head of the Corneal Unit at the Sydney Eye Hospital. She consults at Bondi Eye Doctors in Bondi Junction.

Prof Watson is Chair of the Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia, Chair of New South Wales Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists and an Asia Pacific Advisory Panel member for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

The achievements of Professor Watson have been recognised by award of an Order of Australia Medal for service to Ophthalmology in 2022 and in 2024 by Award of Gold Fellowship for the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, an Achievement Award from the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, Fellowship of The Royal Society of New South Wales and the Professor Doug Coster Award lecture from the Australian and New Zealand Corneal Society. In 2023 and 2025 she was recognised as one of ‘Asia Pacific’s Top Eye 100’ most influential ophthalmologists (a biannual award). Professor Watson’s achievements have also been recognised in 2023 by the Outstanding Service for the Prevention of Blindness Award from the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology. She was awarded the Premier’s Prize for Leadership in Innovation in NSW. Prof Watson was nominated for a Care and Compassion medal in the Pride of Australia awards.

Professor Fiona Stapleton was awarded her PhD from City University and Moorfields Eye Hospital in London for her research on the pathogenesis and epidemiology of contact lens-related disease and completed a post-doctoral fellowship at University College London. Fiona is a clinical scientist with expertise in epidemiology and clinical research in the fields of corneal infection, dry eye and contact lens related disease.

She holds numerous memberships and executive affiliations with scientific organisations, is a regular reviewer for a range of journals, belongs to the international editorial board of three journals, has over 280 peer-reviewed publications, has contributed 20 chapters to textbooks and published one book.

She is currently President of the International Society for Contact Lens Research and was awarded Fellowship of the Australian Academy of Science and Technology in 2018.

Dr Margaret Lam graduated from the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences at the University of New South Wales and finished her Post Graduate qualifications in Ophthalmic Medicines Prescribing in 2010. Margaret practices full scope optometry and primary eye care as well as having expertise in specialty contact lenses.

Margaret’s areas of expertise include myopia management, dry eye, and specialty contact lens fitting, including prescribing for orthokeratology, keratoconus, corneal ectasia and rehabilitative contact lenses, and she has been a past recipient of the Neville Fulthorpe Award for Clinical Excellence.

Margaret works as the Head of Optometry and Professional Services for 1001 Optometry and as the Head Optometrist for 1001 Optometry in Bondi, and is also an Adjunct Senior Lecturer for the School of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of New South Wales, and she mentors and teaches Undergraduate and Postgraduate Masters Students in Advanced Contact Lenses.

Margaret has also worked in several Advisory roles with leading contact lens companies, and has written for Optometry journals including mivision, Insight, Australian Optometry, Optometry Connection and Clinical and Experimental Optometry.

She currently serves on the National Board for the Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia and is the past National President of Optometry Australia.

Being in the graduate class of 1994 from QUT, Martin originally worked in country Queensland. This Included fly in, fly out work in concert with Dr Gary Brian of the Fred Hollows Foundation in remote Aboriginal and Torres Strait communities.

In 2006 he made his way south to Hobart for a slower pace of life.

Since 2009 he has been owner and principal optometrist in his own independent optometry practice and has a keen interest in Contact Lenses and Dry Eye Disease. He works closely with GPs, Ophthalmologists and Oncologists helping diagnose and treat their dry eye patients. Martin writes a regular column for the Cornea and Contact Lens Society of Australia(CCLSA), has spoken at State, National and International conferences and has published DED CPD pieces for optometrists and ophthalmologists. Since 2017 he has been Tasmanian state president of the CCLSA and in 2022 he was elected as National President of the CCLSA.