Professor John Lawrenson

Professor of Clinical Optometry: Director of Postgraduate Programme

0207 040 5060
j.g.lawrenson@city.ac.uk

Academic and Professional Qualifications / Membership

1991  PhD in Visual Science. City University
1988  Member of the College of Optometrists
1987  BSc (Hons) Ophthalmic Optics. Aston University
1984  Post graduate Certificate in Education. Birmingham University
1981  BSc (Hons) Biochemistry and Chemistry, Cardiff University

Brief outline of Career History

2004-date  Professor, City University
2000-2004  Reader, City University,
1996-2000  Senior Lecturer, City University
1994-1996  Lecturer, City University
1992-1994  Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University College London
1987-1988  Pre-registration optometrist, Moorfields Eye Hospital
1981-1983  Medical Laboratory Scientific Officer, Royal Free Hospital.
1988-date   Locum optometrist (Saturdays)

Programme-related teaching responsibilities

BSc. Module co-ordinator

  • Diabetes
  • Optometric pharmacology and microbiology
  • Anterior segment eye disease and therapeutics

MSc  Module co-ordinator

  • Diabetes Shared Care
  • Additionaal supply/supplementary prescribing

 I teach on the following BSc modules:

  • 01 Human Biology (9 lectures plus labs)
  • 01 Neural and Visual Biology (10 lectures plus labs)
  • 01 Clinical Practice (1 lecture plus clinical labs)
  • 02 Clinical Practice (1 lecture plus clinical labs)
  • 02 Retina and Retinal Disease (3 lectures)
  • 02 Introduction to Eye Disease (1 lectures)
  • 02 Diabetic Eye Disease (3 lectures)
  • 02 Visual Neuroscience (1 lecture)
  • 03 Ocular pharmacology and microbiology (3 lectures)
  • 03 Anterior Segment Disease and Therapeutics (8 lectures)

 I teach on the following postgraduate certificate courses (contributing to the modular MSc in Clinical Optometry): Total 15 lectures

  • Principles of prescribing 
  • Contact Lens Management 1
  • Binocular Vision 1
  • Binocular Vision 2
  • Diabetic Shared Care
  • Glaucoma Shared Care
  • Clinical Neurology of the Visual System
  • Vision in the Aged
  • Referral Refinement
  • Refractive surgery co-management

 External teaching
I teach opthalmologists on a primary MRCOph revision course (Institute of ophthalmology) and give about 20 lectures per year on various  optometric CET courses

Administrative responsibilities

Director of postgraduate programme

Professional Activities outside the University

  • Trustee of the College of Optometrists
  • Chairman of Academic Committee, College of Optometrists
  • Chairman of Therapeutics Steering Group, College of Optometrists
  • Advisor to the General Optical Council

Research Interests

  • Molecular anatomy of blood-tissue barriers
  • Ophthalmic drugs and ocular adverse reactions to drugs
  • Innervation and sensitivity of the anterior eye 
  • Models of Ophthalmic Primary Care

Details of recent publications

  • Lawrenson, J.G., Murphy, P.J. & Birhah, R. (2005) Tear-film lipid layer morphology and corneal sensation in the development of blinking in neonates and infants. Journal of Anatomy 206,265-70
  • Titcomb L, Lawrenson, J.G. (2005) How new and wider roles for optometrists affect pharmacy. Pharmaceutical Journal  275, 95-98
  • Dolman, D.E.M., Lawrenson, J.G., & Abbott, N.J. (2004)  Cross-reactivity of polyclonal GFAP anti-sera: implications for the in-vitro characterisation of brain endothelium. Brain Research, 1012, 185-6