2:30min
When Alexis Ceecee Britten-Jones (Ceecee) accepted OV/SA’s 2023 Rising Star Award, she shared her desire to ‘strengthen the voice of optometry in clinical and multidisciplinary research and inspire future leaders in optometry.’ In one short year, Ceecee has achieved that and so much more!
With applications open for the 2024 OV/SA Rising Star Award, we caught up with Ceecee for a dose of inspiration.
The 2023 Rising Star Award recognised Ceecee as an outstanding clinician-scientist, working on the cutting edge of medical technology and new treatments, whilst still maintaining a clinical load. She had already built an impressive academic trajectory as an early-career optometrist, having published 29 peer-reviewed articles, received numerous grants and awards and worked on projects with Australia’s largest low vision support networks (Retina Australia, Macular Disease Foundation Australia, and Blind Citizens Australia).
Fast forward to 2024 and Ceecee is co-leading a new University of Melbourne program using advanced genomic sequencing to diagnose rare retinal diseases. She explains: ‘This work is incredibly exciting as it paves the way for new research avenues. I am leveraging my clinical and research expertise to learn more about how genetics can influence the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases.’
Reflecting on how the 2023 Rising Star award helped her career, Ceecee said that it ‘was a huge honour and it encourages me in my role as one of the few optometrists in the field of genetics research. Now I aim to broaden the knowledge and applications of genetics in primary eye care and want to encourage more optometrists to explore diverse ways to enhance eye health.’
Ceecee strongly encourages OV/SA members to nominate themselves or others for the OV/SA 2024 Rising Star Award, as a way of celebrating dedication and contributions to the optometry profession. ‘It’s exciting to see extraordinary efforts recognised and how this award inspires young optometrists to enact positive change’.
Nominations for the 2024 Rising Star Award close on Friday 5 July. Download the application form and read more here.