VISION IMPAIRMENT IN CHILDREN AND THE IMPACT ON CHILDREN AND THEIR FAMILIES
With
Dr Susan Silveira
Chief Investigator
Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register, NextSense &
Program Director
Master of Disability Studies (Macquarie University),
NextSense, Sydney, Australia
RESEARCHER PROFILE
Filmed in Sydney | June 2025
Sue is a qualified paediatric orthoptist who has held both clinical and academic roles. She has a Master of Health Sciences (Education) from the University of Sydney, and a PhD from the University of Newcastle.
Sue holds a conjoint academic position with Macquarie University and is the Course Director for their Master of Disability Studies, which is administered and delivered by NextSense Institute in affiliation with the University. She teaches in the areas of vision impairment and disability, and aims to share her knowledge while learning from others, especially people who are blind or have low vision and their families.
A research fellow with NextSense Institute, Sue is the chief investigator on a collaborative partnership project that established the Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register, which captures data to help improve services for children who are blind or have low vision. She is also a co-investigator on a project that aims to raise awareness about when and why braille should be introduced in a child’s life, and is working as part of a research team developing accessible playgrounds.
Sue has worked extensively in the NSW public hospital system and in vision screening programs, and has held an academic position with the University of Sydney’s School of Orthoptics, in addition to working at The Children’s Hospital at Westmead—the largest paediatric centre in NSW.
Through her research, Sue aims to give a voice to people who are blind or have low vision, and to broadly improve their quality of life.
Outside of work, she prioritises her family and tries to spend time on her loved pastime–drawing.
Source: Supplied
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CASE STUDY: Transforming surgical waitlist into a ‘preparation list’
The DIAMONDS initiative aims to transform the surgical waitlist into a “preparation list,” enabling healthcare professionals to optimise patient care in the months leading up to elective surgery starting at pre-admission phase.
Patients are will be able to complete pre-admission forms online, receive timely updates, and access educational resources to ensure thorough preparation. This will allow staff to spend more time with patients.
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Novel forms of brain stimulation & psychedelic assisted psychotherapy
Professor Paul Fitzgerald is the Head of the School of Medicine and Psychology at the Australian National University. He is an academic psychiatrist with a MBBS degree, Masters of Psychological Medicine and research PhD. He has conducted an extensive range of experimental studies and clinical trials, focused on the development of novel treatment options for patients with mental health conditions such as depression, schizophrenia, obsessive compulsive disorder, PTSD, autism and Alzheimer’s disease.
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Unnecessary tests and treatments in low value critical care
Dr Gerben Keijzers is a Senior Staff Specialist Emergency Physician at the Gold Coast University Hospital Emergency Department. His research focus includes low-value care, which is in the area of unnecessary tests and treatments with minimal benefits. Dr Keijzers has contributed to over 100 publications and more than 20 grant applications. Through his involvement in multi-site collaborative research projects, he encourages critical thinking and curiosity among clinical staff, striving to enhance both patient care and the efficiency of healthcare resources.
