M. Francesca Cordeiro

Professor, UCL, Imperial College London, Western Eye Hospital; Founder, Director, and Chief Scientific Officer, Novai, UK

What is an interesting or little-known fact about you?

I love tennis – playing and spectating!

Why did you decide to pursue ophthalmology/your subspecialty?

I thought it was the most intellectually stimulating specialty – as my student elective with Alan Bird confirmed!

Who is someone in ophthalmology/your subspecialty that you feel has been particularly influential over the past 10 years?

Alan Bird who inspired me when I was a medical student and continues to do so; also Clive Migdal who was a mentor to me in my early consultant days. 

What’s been the biggest breakthrough in ophthalmology/your specific field over the last 10 years?

Applications of AI to Ophthalmology and the introduction of different concepts in retinal imaging – including fluorescence imaging, adaptive optics, and OCT.

Is there a particular tool, technological advance, or instrument you would not have been able to live without over the past 10 years? 

The iPhone! 

What would you like to see change in ophthalmology/your subspecialty over the next 10 years – and why?

I would like to see primary care ophthalmology being delivered by non-ophthalmologists; additionally, I am passionate that the eye is recognized more as a window into the brain.

Where do you predict ophthalmology/your subspecialty will be 10 years from now?

I believe it will be a key tool for personalized medicine.

Do you have any personal missions for the next 10 years?

I would like to see DARC Technology accessible to everyone and not only for ophthalmic disease but also CNS conditions, so that early identification of disease enables an end to functional loss – be it blindness or neurological deficits.