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40under40 Awards night shines a light on our champion for eye health
Thursday, 24 July 2015
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Photo courtesy of Attila Csaszar, Business News. Our very own Dr Angus Turner (He 1988-1994) has been named “First Amongst Equals”, the highest honour at the 40Under40 Awards on 11 March 2015. Having studied medicine at the University of Western Australia, Angus was such an exceptional student that he was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford in 2001. After two years studying in England to complete a Masters of Evidence Based Medicine, he then moved to Melbourne to complete five years of ophthalmology training. Angus returned to Perth and he is now an Associate Professor at the University of Western Australia, and the Founder and Director of Outback Vision at the Lions Eye Institute. It was for his efforts in establishing Lions Outback Vision in 2010 that Angus was recognised at the 40under40 Awards. Through Outback Vision, Angus is responsible for the delivery of specialist eye health services in remote and Indigenous communities to nearly 5,000 people a year in the Kimberley, Pilbara, Goldfields, Great Southern and South West regions. Inspired by the legendary work of the late Professor Fred Hollows, Angus’ goal is to eliminate blindness and vision loss which is a devastating and growing problem. Research has shown that the rate of blindness among Indigenous Australians is more than six times higher than in non-Indigenous Australians, statistic made more shocking by the fact that 94 per cent of vision loss is preventable or treatable. While most vision loss can be corrected, 35 per cent of Indigenous Australians have never had an eye examination, a problem Angus is doing his best to correct.  \Dr Angus Turner (centre) was named “First Amongst Equals” at the 40under40 Awards, flanked on the left by the Perth Lord Mayor, Lisa Scaffidi, and on the right by the Executive Chairman of Business News, Elton Swarts. Photograph courtesy of Attila Csaszar, Business News. |