Global Ambassador: Nicole Carnt
Tell us about yourself:
I am an Australian Optometrist, Researcher, Academic and a mum of 2 teenage kids. My husband is English and I have spent time in the UK working both as a practising Optometrist and as a Researcher. I have been a BCLA Member since 2008, a Fellow since 2010 and have attended most BCLA conferences over the past 13 years. I was privileged to be introduced to research by Debbie Sweeney and Brien Holden in 1999 and am lucky to count amongst my colleagues and friends, luminaries of contact lens research such as Fiona Stapleton and Mark Willcox. I am passionate about healthy contact lens wear.
What encouraged/inspired you to join the BCLA?
I have a diverse and rich optometric career focussing on healthy contact lens wear. I am passionate about patient engagement in research and mentoring in research and Optometry. I applaud BCLA as a forward-thinking professional body that embraces diverse membership, continuing education and fosters early career researchers. Furthermore, BCLA were the first organisation to adopt the consumer designed “No Water” symbol for contact lens packaging that I have championed. My strong network has enabled the symbol adoption in US and Australia (through AAO and CCLSA, respectively). I have been proud to be a BCLA Fellow since 2010, serve as Topical Editor of CLAE since 2016 and have actively participated in many BCLA activities (CLAE Guest Editor, Special Issue, Long Term Contact Lens Wear, 2022, Invited Webinar “No water” March 2021, Irving Fatt Memorial Lecture 2019, Dallos awards 2010 and 2015).
What do you hope to achieve by representing the BCLA as a Global Ambassador?
I would expand the reach of BCLA to include more younger graduates of Optometry as well as other Scientists. I currently lead a multi-disciplined team investigating genomic, environmental and behavioural risk factors for contact lens associated keratitis. This team includes researchers from Nepal, India, Pakistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Korea as well as Australia. I also mentor PhD alumni (including at Harvard and Singapore National Eye Institute). At UNSW, I convene 2 clinical masters courses for 80 students in the penultimate year of Optometry at UNSW, the largest school in Australia. I currently have a cohort of 8 PhD students and host 3-4 final year Optometry Clinical Masters per year on contact lens related projects. There are many opportunities to engage students and scientists in BCLA activities and I have had some experience (e.g. 2019 Acanthamoeba Keratitis workshop-included Moorfields Research Optometrist, UNSW PhD student, University of West of Scotland Microbiology Professor).
Biography:
Nicole Carnt is Scientia Senior Lecturer at The School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW, Sydney, Australia. She graduated from Optometry at UNSW in 1989 and worked in private practice for 10 years in Australia and the UK before taking a position with the Brien Holden Vision Institute in 1999. She completed a PhD on Epidemiology of Contact Lens Related Infection and Inflammation 2008-12 is the recipient of many research awards. She was awarded a NHMRC Research Fellowship in 2012 and spent the first 2.5 years at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London investigating a rare but severe corneal infection in contact lens wearers, Acanthamoeba Keratitis. She is passionate about healthy contact lens wear.