Silver Medal Awards
The Fincham Medal: Past Winners
The Silver Fincham medal was introduced in commemoration of the contribution to ophthalmic
optics of
brothers
Walter and Edgar Fincham. The medal honours exceptional work by those who may be described as being
“mid-career.” Seven Fincham medals have been awarded, to:
Professor Neville McBrien PhD, FAAO, MCOptom, FBDO
(1995) – for his research into myopia, and in particular how the abnormal growth of the eye is
controlled in pathological myopia.
Dr Ian Flitcroft MA, DPhil, FRCOphth
(2002) – for his research on human accommodation, especially the nature of the visual stimuli that
drive accommodation and the relationship between binocular vision and accommodation reflex.
Professor Robin Ali PhD
(2004) – for his pioneering work on gene therapy, which revealed that animal vision could be
sustained and improved in animals with inherited retinal diseases by introducing normal genes using a
viral vector.
Dr James Bainbridge PhD FRCOpth
(2009) – for his successful trial of gene therapy in treating a particular form of genetically
induced blindness in humans.
Professor Alan Stitt PhD
(2017) – for his research on diabetic retinopathy and age-related retinal disease and his
pioneering work on re-vascularising ischaemic retina.
Professor Shahina Pardhan (2024) – for her research into the global visual impact of diabetic retinopathy on eye health and vision and how vision loss affects navigation through environments; and for her continuing work championing equity and diversity in science.
Professor Robert MacLaren (2025) - for his record of research excellence, his sustained impact in increasing scientific knowledge related to retinal diseases and his efforts to reduce preventable blindness.
Submissions are invited each year for WCSM Silver Medals. Applications are now open, with a deadline of Wednesday 28 October at 17.00. Submissions should be made using the form below.
The WCSM Silver Medal will be awarded to the person who, in the opinion of our judging panel of professors, can most clearly demonstrate a sustained commitment to better vision with a national or international impact over a period of 7–25 years since achieving a doctorate or reaching an equivalent senior status in clinical practice.
Applicants may be nominated by department heads, or can self-nominate. Each application must explain clearly the individual's contribution to alleviating or preventing vision impairment, in at least one of four categories: education, research, innovation, clinical leadership. The impact of their work must be able to be evidenced through publication of a body of research, a record of success in higher level teaching and education, development and roll-out of an innovative product or therapy or a record of leadership in clinical practice. Additional weighting will be given to work which has involved work across different professional eyecare disciplines and has had, or will have, multi-disciplinary impact. Applicants will be expected to show continuing involvement in their field, building on past achievements.
Please click the box below to read the full Call for Submissions 2026 before submitting an application.
Call for submissions 
