Meet a council member: Debarun Dutta

Tell us a bit about yourself:
I am in Optometry for the last 14 years, and currently a tenured lecturer at the Optometry School, Aston University responsible for both excellence in research and teaching. In 2019, I moved from Sydney, Australia to UK, where I worked at the Brien Holden Vision Institute and School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of NSW for 10 years. At Aston, I am the leader of 2nd year contact lens course. My primary research area is contact lenses, ocular surface and eye infection. Currently I supervise two PhD and one research fellow and have published more than 50 peer review and dozens of Optometry professional articles. 

Why did you join the BCLA? 
World’s top institution to be involved in teaching and innovation for contact lenses. I have been associated with BCLA over the last 10 years when I presented at the annual clinical conference for the first time. It was a fantastic experience and highly inspirational to understand the upcoming contact lens and care products including the best practice for the patient and practitioners. The other reason to join BCLA is to meet good friends and stay in contact with the innovations around contact lenses and anterior eye. 

What encouraged/inspired you to apply to be on BCLA Council?
I have been involved with contact lens research for more than 10 years now, and would like to help shape the future of contact lens innovation with changing practice pattern. The area of contact lens and anterior eye research is rapidly changing and I would like to reflect the latest research evidence for best practice to our daily contact lens clinical setting that is beneficial for patients. 

Apart from the membership benefits, what else do you get from being a member of the BCLA?
As I have mentioned above, I first presented at the BCLA Conference 10 years ago, since then BCLA as an organisation is very close my heart. I regard this is the top institution for contact lens and anterior eye. This certainly because cornea and contact lens section is my favourite among all the areas of Optometry and Vision Science. 

What is it like being a member of the BCLA council? 
Well, I feel empowered to help and support our member contact lens and anterior eye practitioners. However, just started recently and looking forward to understand bits in detail. 

What message would you like to give to members / non-members?
The modern contact lenses are for everyone, they are very very comfortable and very handy. I would like all our members and non-members to rethink and try latest contact lenses. We all should start suggesting lenses to all of our patients. Surely we have lenses for everyone. 

What do you think will be the biggest change in contact lenses and the anterior eye over the next five years? 
I think we have very very good contact lenses for everyone for all age groups. In addition, now we have lenses that are able reduce myopia progression, address presbyopia needs and so on. I feel over the next 5 years contact lenses will be more and more popular that will expand the number of current contact lens wearers in UK and globally. 

In 2010 Dr Dutta received University International Postgraduate Award (UIPA) from UNSW towards his PhD at the Brien Holden Vision Institute. In 2013 Dr Dutta received Ezell Fellowship from American Academy of Optometry, and in 2015 he received Brian Kirby prize for research excellence in Optometry. Dr Dutta has received infrastructure and research grants from industry, University and public funding agencies since 2015. He has published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers in scientific journals and book chapters. Dr Debarun Dutta is also a visiting fellow of the School of Optometry and Vision Science, UNSW, Sydney and a consultant for his Ophthalmic Industry partners.