Professor
Helen V Danesh-Meyer, MBChB, MD,
FRANZCO
Sir William and Lady Stevenson Professor
of Ophthalmology
Helen Danesh-Meyer attended the University of Otago Medical School graduating in 1991. After completing her post-graduate professional training in ophthalmology in Dunedin, Christchurch and Auckland she was awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists after achieving the highest marks in both the Part I and Part II Examinations. Thereafter she undertook a further two years of fellowship training in glaucoma and neuro-ophthalmology at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. She returned to New Zealand in 2000. Since then she has been a Director of Eye Institute and a member of the academic staff in the Medical School at the University of Auckland. Presently, she is the W & S Stevenson Professor of Ophthalmology.
Professor Danesh-Meyer is an ophthalmic surgeon and clinician-scientist who divides her time almost equally between patient care activities and research.
Clinical:
Professor Danesh-Meyer sub-specialises in glaucoma
and neuro-ophthalmology. Glaucoma is the leading
cause of preventable blindness in New Zealand. Her
private practice at Eye Institute has the state-of–the
art technology for the early diagnosis and management
of glaucoma. This includes the Heidelberg Retinal
Tomograph and the Cirrus Optical Coherence tomography
which allows quantitative mapping of the optic nerve
head which is the site of damage in glaucoma. Eye
Institute is also the only centre in Auckland which
provides Selective Laser Trabeculoplasty, a new laser
treatment for the management of glaucoma.
In addition to her clinical expertise, Professor Danesh-Meyer specialises in cataract surgery in particular for glaucoma patients. She also performs complex glaucoma surgery including trabeculectomy and tube shunt procedures. Her practice serves as a clinical trial centre for new drugs and innovations in glaucoma.
Research:
Helen was been recognized for her research by receiving
numerous awards and research grants. She has published
more than 120 articles. Her research has recently been
focussed in the New Scientist
(January 2009) as one of
the leading innovators in neuro-ophthalmology research.
She has also authored several chapters including the
Neuro-ophthalmology section in Albert & Jakobeic (a major
reference textbook in ophthalmology). She has co-authored
a major textbook in Neuro-ophthalmology published by
McGraw-Hill and is presently co-authoring a second textbook,
Glaucomatous Optic Neuropathy, to be published by Oxford
University Press. Her research interests have also accrued
over $1,000,000 in funding from diverse funding bodies
including: Health Research Council of New Zealand, Auckland
Medical Research Fund and the Save Sight Society of New
Zealand.
Helen’s research focus spans both clinical and basic science aspects of optic nerve disease with an emphasis on translational ophthalmology. Her research interests includes giant cell arteritis, ischaemic optic neuropathies, imaging modalities in neuro-ophthalmology, the role of astrocytes in optic neuropathies, and glaucomatous optic neuropathy. Several aspects of her clinical research have influenced and altered clinical management strategies in the international arena, in particular her work on imaging of the retinal nerve fibre layer in chiasmal compression, and the role of the “ice test” in myasthenia gravis. As a neuro-ophthalmologist she pioneered quantitative evaluation of the optic nerve and its morphological changes using optic nerve imaging modalities such as optical coherence tomography, scanning laser ophthalmoscopy and scanning laser polarimetry.
Professor Danesh-Meyer has established glaucoma and neuro- ophthalmology research at the University of Auckland and is the Head of the Optic Nerve and Glaucoma Research Unit of the New Zealand National Eye Centre (NZ-NEC). Her Optic Nerve Research Laboratory investigates ischaemic optic neuropathy and mechanisms of injury and repair in a novel rat model. Her team is also evaluating wound modulation in glaucoma filtration surgery in a rabbit model. She has also spear headed collaborative clinical research with the Wilmer Eye Center at Johns Hopkins Medical School, the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, the University of Montreal, and has close ties with the University of Melbourne.
Education:
Professor Danesh-Meyer provides a significant contribution
to lecturing undergraduate science, medical and optometry
students as well as post-graduate optometry and ophthalmology
professional teaching - both nationally and internationally.
Helen is also co-editor of the Clinical Challenges Section of
the, top-ranked, journal Survey of Ophthalmology, and serves
as Neuro-ophthalmology Section Editor of two journals - Clinical
and Experimental Ophthalmology and the Journal of Clinical
Neuroscience. She is Scientific Director to Glaucoma New Zealand,
and a member of the Scientific Advisory Boards of three major
pharmaceutical companies - Alcon, Pfiizer, and Allergan. She is
a member of the Part II Court of Examiners for the Royal Australian
and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, serves as Chairman of
the Save Sight Society Research Committee, and a member of the
scientific research board of Ophthalmic Research Institute of
Australia.
Helen has also developed several innovative teaching programmes for non-medical professionals and the public. She initiated the development of clinical ophthalmology training for nurses leading to nurse-based ophthalmology clinics both for glaucoma and cataract management within Auckland District Health Boards – a policy now being adopted elsewhere in New Zealand. She has also developed a web-based Continuing Medical Education programme for New Zealand Optometrists which has been successfully providing continuing education for over 250 optometrists (approximately 50% of practicing NZ optometrists) annually for the past four years. As part of her position as Chairman of Glaucoma New Zealand, Helen regularly gives public lectures to educate patients with glaucoma about their disease.
Community Service:
Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer is a founding Trustee of Glaucoma
New Zealand, a charitable trust for the prevention of blindness
from glaucoma which was established in 2003. She has served as
the Managing Trustee since its inception and has recently been
appointed the Chairperson of Glaucoma NZ. Glaucoma is a common
eye disease of older age that may affect 2-4% of the New Zealand
population and which can lead to blindness or severe visual
impairment if undiagnosed and untreated. Over the last five
years Glaucoma NZ has grown exponentially and developed a
membership of over 6000 individuals. Helen regularly contributes
to the production of literature for its newsletters, public
lectures, educational forums and public awareness campaigns, and
has given a number of television and radio interviews promoting
glaucoma awareness. She has recently been awarded the Paul Harris
Rotary Medal for her contributions to the community- a rare
distinction bestowed upon non-Rotarians.
