Council members

The RCOphth Council debates and makes decisions on the development of eye services, the profession and care of patients. The Regional Representatives are responsible for representing the views of members across the UK. Council Members are elected by the Fellows and Members of their region. Click on their profile to read more and view their contact details.

Ben became President on 24 May 2023. He is a full time NHS consultant ophthalmologist at James Paget University Hospital in Great Yarmouth. Ben has an interest in medical retina, uveitis and neuro-ophthalmology and underwent subspecialty training in Moorfields Eye Hospital, St Thomas’ Hospital, and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London.

He is actively involved in research studies for Age Related Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy and Retinal Vein Occlusions and runs the Macular Degeneration service at the James Paget University Hospital.

Email:[email protected]

Vice President

Mohamed Elalfy is a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon working in Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in East Grinstead, West Sussex, and Maidstone & Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust in Kent, England. He has served in various roles in The College including as a Council Member, a Trustee, a Regional Representative for South East Thames, a Senior Examiner, and as a Co-Lead for the Portfolio Pathway. His experience outside of The College includes Clinical Lead and Clinical Director in the NHS.

Andrew is Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Southampton and is the medical retina lead for University Hospital Southampton.
He looks forward to engaging with members to improve their relationship with the College. He was Editor of the journal Eye for 10 years and previously Chair of the Scientific Committee of the College and an active clinician scientist.

He and his team have performed over 100 clinical trials and published over 400 papers in high impact journals including Nature Genetics, Nature Communications, the Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine. He currently leads a £4 million Wellcome Trust Collaborative Award assessing the role of artificial intelligence in understanding the aetiology of age related macular degeneration.

Email: [email protected]

Vikas Chadha trained in Delhi, Edinburgh and Glasgow and is now a consultant at the Tennent Institute of Ophthalmology, Glasgow. He co-delivers the Scottish Ocular Oncology Service and the Glasgow Oculoplastics and Orbital service. His service also runs an International Fellowship programme in ocular oncology and orbital surgery.
Mr Chadha is currently the Training Programme Director for ophthalmology in the West of Scotland. He is also the outgoing Chair of the Curriculum Sub-committee at the College and examines for both the Royal College of Ophthalmologists and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow.

He is an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer at the University of Glasgow, Associate Editor for Eye and has more than 45 peer reviewed publications. His previous roles include Clinical Lead, College Tutor Convener for Glasgow Fellowship examination and Executive committee member of BOPSS.

Melanie Corbett is a Consultant Ophthalmologist at The Western Eye Hospital, Imperial NHS Trust. She specialises in Cornea, Ocular Surface and Anterior Segment surgery. Her MD thesis was on corneal wound healing, she published a book on corneal topography and has over 70 scientific publications. She is a Past President of the Medical Contact Lens and Ocular Surface Association.

Melanie is Chair of Education at The Royal College of Ophthalmologists, and was Lead Training Programme Director for North Thames. She is responsible for the curriculum design and implementation of the OCCCF Multiprofessional Training Programme. She has led Training the Trainers for 10 years, rolling out programmes in the UK, Africa and the Far East. She led the implementation of the OPT Multiprofessional Training Programme, and the INSPIRE Digital Learning Platform.

Adonis El Salloukh is a ST6 trainee in Wales. He is the current OTG chair and OTG representative of Wales. His subspecialty interests include vitreoretinal, cataract and refractive surgery. Adonis is active in research, academia and teaching and has organised national and international courses. He is passionate about providing free healthcare in less developed countries and has volunteered in multiple charity missions across the world.

Dr Swetha Maddula Batambuze MBChB is the Chair of the RCOphth subcommittee for SAS doctors.

She is a Specialty Doctor at Northwest Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, Peterborough and her specialist interests include glaucoma, paediatrics, and cataract surgery. She started her career in ophthalmology in 2009, entering OST run-through training in the West Midlands Deanery until 2015.

Bernadette (Berni) Warren was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1996 and in 2011 she was diagnosed with Diabetic Macular Oedema. Ahe also has cataracts and glaucoma. In 2024 she was registered as severely sight impaired
After losing her job as a teacher in 2012 her faith led her to look for volunteering opportunities to share her experience of diabetes and sight loss from a patient’s perspective.

To date she has worked alongside ophthalmologists, optometrists and pharmaceutical companies. She also sat on both the NICE Diabetic Retinopathy management and monitoring guideline committee (2024) and multiple TA committees. She has spoken at a variety of professional and patient facing conferences and has given lectures in hospitals and universities. She is also a lay member of the College of Optometrists and leads two sight loss support groups for the Macular Society.

Chair of the Examinations Committee

Email:[email protected]

Darren Ting is Chair of the Scientific & Research Committee.

Colin Vize graduated from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in 1993. He trained in general ophthalmology in the north of England and undertook specialist oculoplastic tutelage in the UK and Ireland. Colin was appointed as a Consultant Oculoplastic, Lacrimal and Orbital surgeon at the newly formed Hull and East Yorkshire Eye Hospital in 2004 and quickly assumed a senior clinical management role. Colin is the current Honorary president of the British Oculoplastic Surgery Society, having previously served two terms as Secretary.

He is passionate about teaching and training and maintains an Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer role at Hull York Medical School. He continues to be published in international peer reviewed journals whilst making presentations on local and worldwide stages. He has recently moved from leading the Medicines, Devices and Safety Group at the College to chairing the Quality, Audit and Standards Committee.

Rhianon Reynolds grew up in South Wales. She studied Optometry at Cardiff University and obtained a PhD looking into ocular blood flow in type 2 diabetes.

While following the training programme in Wales, she was the trainee lead for the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) in Wales. Following completion of her training and fellowship at Bristol Eye hospital, working with the medical retina and Uveitis teams, Rhianon took up her consultant post at Aneurin Bevan University Health board.

She has remained research active and is a senior lecturer at the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences at Cardiff University, with research interests in macular translational research and eyecare pathway work. Rhianon has a wide range of collaborative links across Wales, the UK and internationally.

Email: [email protected]

Chair of Global Ophthalmology Subcommittee

Council Regional Representative – East Anglia

Email: [email protected]

Council Regional Representative – Mersey

Email: [email protected]

Council Regional Representative – Moorfields

Email: [email protected]

Council Regional Representative – North West

Email: [email protected]

Council Regional Representative – North West Thames