Second Women in Vision conference held in Liverpool

More than 60 leading female researchers attended the second annual Women in Vision conference in Liverpool this month.

Women in Vision was started to increase female profiles working in all fields related to vision, including scientists and eye health professionals.

Fight for Sight Patron Fiona Hathorn, managing director of Women on Boards UK, spoke at the conference and said: ‘We have to ask why so many women graduate with degrees in optometry and ophthalmology but so few reach senior academic or research positions.’

Michele Acton, chief executive of Fight for Sight, added: ‘We support Women in Vision because it’s essential that we harness all the talent possible in the fight against sight loss. Around 40% of our current grant-holders are female, and that’s an increase from 33% last year, but there is further to go and we’re investing in the future too: 60% of recent Fight for Sight PhD students are female.’