Professor Shahina Pardhan, Associate Non-Executive Member at NHS Mid and South Essex Integrated Care Board (NHS Mid and South Essex), has been honoured for services to optometry and preventing blindness.
Named in the King’s New Year’s honours 2025 list, Professor Pardhan has received the title of Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Professor Pardhan is the founding Director of the world leading Vision and Eye Research Institute (VERI), and Director of the Centre for Inclusive Community Eye Health, based within the School of Medicine at Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge. Her commitment to helping reduce disabilities and health inequalities linked to blindness has seen her translate her research into interventions that help people who are underserved and at high risk of preventable blindness in the UK and around the world.
As Associate Non-Executive Member at NHS Mid and South Essex, Professor Pardhan provides clinical leadership within the Quality Committee, and to the Ophthalmology Recovery Committee which has recently seen progress in bringing care closer to home for residents of mid and south Essex through remote ophthalmology diagnostic hubs at NHS Mid and South Essex Foundation Trust.
Professor Pardhan said: “I am honoured and delighted to have received the honour.
“Reversible blindness is a major contributor to disability in many parts of the world. A Cascade of Care that includes awareness, timely diagnosis and treatment can reduce the risk significantly. This honour only strengthens my commitment to continue this work to reduce the risk and impact of blindness, and to improve the wellbeing of people who have lost their vision.
“My sincere thanks to everyone who have worked with me not just within mid and south Essex but other parts of UK and globally. My passion is to reduce the risk and impact of blindness.”
Professor Michael Thorne CBE, Chair for NHS Mid and South Essex said: “Many congratulations to Professor Pardhan for being awarded an OBE for her services in helping to prevent blindness. Her clinical expertise and commitment is helping to improve the health and wellbeing of people mid and south Essex as well as much further afield. It is wonderful that her dedication to preventing sight loss is has been recognised with this honour.”
Professor Pardhan graduated with a First Class BSc in Optometry and PhD in Optometry from University of Bradford, and was appointed as the first female professor of Optometry in the UK (2001). She also leads the leadership portfolio for Women in Vision UK and was named as a Champion for Change in the Ophthalmologist’s Power list in 2019, one of 10 people in the world named as such.
Professor Pardhan was listed in the World Top 2% Scientists List published by Stanford University in 2022. She also holds many other accolades including; Asian Women of Achievement Award (2001), Asian Jewel Award (2004), Research Excellence Award (The Arthur Bennett Prize for outstanding research undertaken anywhere in the world) by the College of Optometrists (2022), an Honorary Doctorate of Health (2023), British Asian Woman’s Award (2024), Silver Medal by the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers (2024) and a Life Fellow by the College of Optometrists (2024).