The Operations teams at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology delivered a year of impactful progress and resilience across all teams. I would like to acknowledge our Education team who are navigating the difficulties of the Faculty-wide EASE Programme with professionalism whilst continuing to enhance student experience through improved induction processes, expanded supervisor training, and the successful rollout of Panopto.
Successes throughout the year include embedding a Worktribe checklist to streamline grant applications, integrating new visa sponsorship protocols, launching the MyAppraisal system, achieving Gold LEAF and Green Impact awards, completing a major digital upgrade, expanding our social media reach, and hosting high-profile international delegations, including a Royal visit. The team were instrumental in supporting the development of the new IoO Strategy and have significantly strengthened alumni and ECR engagement.
Finally, a huge congratulations to Trudy-Anne Muggridge and Curtis Chan who were worthy winners of the 2025 IoO Collegiality Award.
These achievements reflect the collective dedication of our operations teams in supporting the institute’s strategic goals and fostering a considerate and collaborative environment.
Range of activities supported by the institute's Operations teams this year
- HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh's visit to one of our labs in …
- IoO representation and promotion at launch of Poland's new …
- 2025 IoO Awards celebrations
- Early Career Researchers (ECR), Symposium 2025
- Visit by MP Marsha de Cordova in December 2024
- Promotion of IoO-led research in global awareness campaigns…
Some pics of what the teams have been up to this year
Some members of the IoO SoCo team
Some members of the IoO SoCo team
IoO Students: Induction Day
First IoO Career Talk with Daniel Hulme, IoO Alumnus and leading expert in AI and emerging technologies.
IoO Career Talk with Jennifer Williams, IoO Alumna, Senior Clinical Research Manager, October 2024.
IoO Career Talk with Dr Helen Baker, IoO Alumna, PPIE Lead at NIHR Moorfields Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
Professional photography session in progress in one of the labs at the institute.
Working with colleagues across the Oriel Project team to facilitate visits to our new centre for eye health, research and education (Oriel), currently under construction.
IoO Annual Lecture 2025 with Professor G Jane Farrar, from the School of Genetics and Microbiology, Trinity College, Dublin. The lecture was delivered in the IoO Lecture Theatre, as per tradition, in June 2025.
IoO Annual Awards 2025: Collegiality Award to Trudy-Anne Muggridge and Curtis Chan.
IoO Annual Awards 2025: IoO Director's Award to Lloyd Springer.
Black History Month display in the IoO Common Room, organised by IoO Executive Assistant Marilyn Bryan.
IoO Lates: Career Talks
Over the last academic year, the Project Team organised monthly career talks for the Early Career Researchers (ECRs)' community, featuring a number of IoO alumni who have pursued a range of different professional pathways after studying at the institute.
The IoO career talk was a great opportunity to reflect on my professional journey. We rarely take the time to look back and doing so reminded me how winding and unexpected a PhD journey can be. I wanted to share my own unconventional route to reassure others that there’s no one way to succeed and reinforced the idea that successful careers can be built in many different ways. What makes the sessions great is hearing the stories of colleagues whose careers have taken equally unique turns.
A huge thank you to the Social Committee (SoCo) team at the institute for their ongoing dedication in creating welcoming, enjoyable and engaging activities for everyone.
Some of these have included:
January: Chinese New Year 2025
February: EyeBike collaboration, TimeToTalk Day 2025 (Wellbeing collaboration), Pre-Ramadan Potluck Lunch
April: Eid 2025
June: IoO Week 2025's "Sharing Cultures Sharing Plates" Potluck Lunch; Team SoCo's EyeToEye Fundraiser; I-TRAiN collaboration
Jul: IoO Summer Fest 2025 (ECR collaboration); fundraiser for Anna Kennedy (Level Water swim)
September: Happiness Week 2025 (Wellbeing collaboration)
October: Mid-Autumn Moon Festival 2025; BabyLoss Awareness Week 2025 (Petals); World Mental Health Day 2025 (Wellbeing collaboration); BHM fundraiser (The Black Curriculum)
November: Movember fundraiser for Giovanni Canu (Movember London Landmarks 2026)
Other achievements included taking part in EyeToEye (fundraising over £1100); continuing to have our regular breakfast club and afternoon 'brain break' throughout the year; incorporating Matcha as an additional hot drink option during our events; upgrading our messages in the Common Room with new and improved SoCo and Wellbeing boards; recruiting three new members to the team. Additional funds were raised by SoCo which enabled the replacement of a new kettle, a new microwave and a pool table for the IoO common.
SoCo Team are:
Dhani Tracey-White
Pedro Fale
Gabriella Bordeanu
Curtis Chan
Aitor Banon Gonzalez
Simona Mikula Mrstakova
Marilyn Bryan
Yixing Xia
Mathilde Roquete Viana Neto
Rhianna Williams
You can reach them at ioo.soco@ucl.ac.uk.
In the last academic year we held 29 IoO Seminar Series, 21 IoO Research Network Series, three inaugural lectures, one annual lecture, plus high-profile visits and international delegations, including:
- Shanghai Eye Hospital Delegation, with senior figures in ophthalmology and public health, strengthening international collaboration.
- TRIO VI CoE – ICTER Delegation Visit, a two-day programme with seminars and one-to-one meetings, fostering research exchange.
- Provost Michael Spence’s visit to showcase the institute's work.
- Santen visit: Engagement with industry leaders from the Ophthalmology Innovation Centre.
UCL Institute of Ophthalmology Inaugural Lectures
EDI at IoO
An overview of the EDI initiatives and activities that took place at the institute in 2024-2025.
Estates and Sustainability
Highlights of sustainable actions from the institute's Green Team.
Communications and outreach at the institute in 2024-2025
An overview of communications and outreach activities at the institute.