Barry Collin Research Medal Recipient

Professor Suzanne MJ Fleiszig, OD, PhD, FAAO, FARVO, FAAM has been selected as the 17th recipient of the prestigious H Barry Collin Research Medal for her outstanding scientific contributions to the field of cornea and contact lens research. The award, named after Professor H Barry Collin, recognizes outstanding contributions to the advancement of knowledge in optics, vision science or clinical optometry by a person who is an Australian citizen or a graduate of an Australian optometry school, or who has done a significant part of his or her research in an Australian institution. 

"[Dr. Fleiszig's] work on the pathogenesis of contact lens related Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis has been described as groundbreaking. She was the first to demonstrate that isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa causing infections in contact lens wearers differed from those causing non-contact lens related corneal infections and different from those causing infections in other human sites. She went on to identify virulence characteristics in these organisms and to understand how they interacted with the host and specifically host defence mechanisms. This has been key to better understanding both the pathogenesis of the disease and importantly intervention and prevention."