Chris Hudson

Chris Hudson graduated from the University of Aston, UK, in 1983, and then practiced as an optometrist for 6 years before returning to Aston to complete his doctoral thesis in 1993. Subsequently, he was awarded a British Diabetic Association Postdoctoral Fellowship in the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Manchester, UK, where he worked in a clinical retina unit on the development of visual function, retinal thickness and retinal blood flow assessment techniques for the quantification of macular edema.

In 1996, he was appointed as Assistant Professor in Optometry at the School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Northern Ireland, where he played a leading role in setting-up the first new Optometry course in the UK for over 30 years. He taught general and advanced clinical optometric techniques and introductory contact lenses. At the same time, he established a visual function and imaging research unit in the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast. In 1999, he was promoted to Reader in Clinical Vision Science.

Chris joined the Faculty of the School of Optometry, University of Waterloo, as an Associate Professor in 2000 and was promoted to Professor in 2007. He currently teaches physiology of the eye, diseases of the eye and clinical optometry. He also currently holds appointments as Professor, Department of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of Toronto; and Scientist, Toronto Western Research Institute. He was appointed to Graduate Faculty, Institute of Medical Science and School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto in 2001 and the Cardiovascular Sciences Collaborative Program, University of Toronto in 2002. In addition, he was appointed as Director of Retinal Research at The University Health Network in 2004.

Chris runs a productive research lab with interests in the areas of the non-invasive psychophysical, imaging and blood flow assessment of the eye. Current research examines the relationship between systemic markers of endothelial function and the functional assessment of retinal vascular reactivity in patients with diabetes and glaucoma. Chris currently holds the position of General Secretary of the Association for Ocular Circulation.

• Clinical Imaging
• Neuroscience
• Ocular Biology
• Vision Services
• Optical Systems

My research aims to improve the patho-physiological understanding and clinical monitoring of retinal disease and also to evaluate new techniques in a clinical setting to provide sensitive, objective outcome measures of both retinal and systemic disease. The work utilizes state-of-the-art imaging techniques for the non-invasive objective assessment of retinal thickness and retinal capillary, arteriolar and venular hemodynamics, in addition to techniques to assess visual function, in human volunteers. Topics include: Diabetes, diabetic retinopathy and macular edema, age-related macular degeneration, retinal disease, glaucoma, arterio- / athero-sclerosis, systemic diseases with ocular impact Non-invasive imaging of the eye, scanning laser technology, Retinal blood flow assessment, metabolic imaging including retinal oximetry and autofluorescence, hemodynamics, retinal vascular reactivity, endothelial function, nitric oxide, endothelin, vascular tonus, compliance, vascular physiology. Dr. Hudson is an approved Ph.D. supervisor.

• BSc (Aston), PhD (Aston),
• MCOptom, FAAO, PgCUT (Ulster)

• Professor, Dept. of Ophthalmology and Vision Science, University of Toronto
• Director of Retinal Research, University Health Network
• Scientist, Toronto Western Research Institute
• Adviser to Faculty on tenure and promotion

• General Secretary & Founding member, Association for Ocular Circulation
• Member, European Vision and Eye Research Association
• Invited member, Ocular Blood Flow Research Association

• Member, Cardiovascular Sciences Collaborative Program, University of Toronto
• Graduate Faculty, Institute of Medical Science, University of Toronto
• School of Graduate Studies, University of Toronto