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Katharine Evans

Dr Katharine Evans

Senior Lecturer, Director of Clinics, Deputy Senior Admissions Tutor

School of Optometry and Vision Sciences

Overview

Dr Katharine Evans joined the school in 2009 after completing a PhD that investigated visual function, ocular surface and tear film characteristics in children and adults with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).  She is an optometrist and an academic with a teaching and research interest in the ocular surface, particularly during contact lens wear or in conditions such as dry eye.  

Katharine is the Year 3 Lead of the undergraduate BSc programme and a Clinic Coordinator for the NHS Wales University Eye Care Clinic.  Her teaching duties include the role of module leader for the Contact Lens module for the second year undergraduate students.  She also supervises final year undergraduate students examining patients in the final year contact lens clinics and contributes to the teaching of several postgraduate modules Contact Lenses, Primary Care Update: Practical and Management of Tear Film Disorders.  As a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy Katharine is committed to teaching excellence and was a recipient of the Lecturer of the Year Award in the Association of Optometrists Awards.  She has also been the recipient of the Lecturer of the Year award by the Cardiff University Optometry Society (OpSoc) on five occasions, most recently in 2023.

Katharine is a Fellow of the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) and Chair of the Education Panel of the British and Irish Universities Committee of Contact Lens Educators (BUCCLE) and a member of the International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE).  She has numerous publications, which include invited reviews, Continuing Professional Educational (CPD) features and refereed journal articles.  As a consultant and key opinion leader for Johnson & Johnson she was invited to update two chapters of the Essential Contact Lens textbook, which was also featured in the Optician publication.   With a research interest in the ocular surface and contact lenses, Katharine has supervised numerous PhD and MSc students and presented at a range of conferences including the BCLA Annual Conference and Optometry Tomorrow.

Publication

2023

2017

2016

2015

2012

2009

Articles

Conferences

Research

Research Interests

  • Contact Lenses
  • Ocular surface & Tear Film
  • Dry Eye

Research Funding at Cardiff University 

  • 2019 Co-applicant Menicon Ltd.
  • 2018 Co-applicant SEED Co, Ltd.
  • 2016 Co-applicant CooperVision Ltd.
  • 2015 Co-applicant CooperVision Ltd.
  • 2014 Co-applicant CooperVision Ltd.
  • 2011 Co-applicant Laboratoires Thea 
  • 2011 Co-applicant CooperVision Ltd.
  • 2011 Co-applicant Ciba Vision (UK) Ltd.
  • 2010 Co-applicant The College of Optometrists

 

Teaching

My teaching duties include the role of module leader for the Contact Lens module (OP2202) for the second year undergraduate students.  I am responsible for designing the structure of the course, writing and delivering the lecture content, supervising the clinical teaching and undertaking the assessments for this module.  I supervise final year undergraduate students examining patients in the final year contact lens clinics (OP3202) and I am also the Year 3 Lead.  Furthermore, I supervise students undertaking research projects in the Research in Optometry & Vision Science (OP3207) module and deliver lectures on the Introductory Optometry (OP0205) module.

I also contribute to the teaching of several postgraduate modules Contact Lenses (OPT040) and Primary Care Update: Practical (OPT019) and including Management of Tear Film Disorders (OPT018).

Biography

I graduated with a First Class Honours from Cardiff University in 2001 and worked in a high street practice for a number of years before returning to the university in 2005 to undertake a PhD.  Supervised by Professor Christine Purslow and Professor Rachel North I investigated the visual function, ocular surface and tear film characteristics in children and adults with Cystic Fibrosis (CF).  I joined the School as a Lecturer in 2009 and was appointed the module leader of the second year contact lens module.

In order to develop my teaching and develop networks I became a member of the British and Irish Universities Committee of Contact Lens Educators (BUCCLE) and International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE) and gained a Fellowship of the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) in 2012. Furthermore, after completing a Postgraduate Certificate in University Teaching and Learning (PCUTL) I became a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2012.  

I was appointed Director of Clinics in 2014 and was responsible for introducing and developing an electronic portfolio to record undergraduate patient episodes and clinical competencies as well as feedback and reflection. My first PhD students, Rachel Hiscox and Alison Ng, who I co-supervised with Professor Christine Purslow and Professor Rachel North, also completed their projects and graduated in 2014.   I was delighted to have my contributions to teaching recognised when I recieved the Lecturer of the Year Award in the 2015 Association of Optometrists Awards.

In 2017 I was promoted to the role of Senior Lecturer and Mirjam van Tilborg, who I co-supervised with Professor Paul Murphy, completed a PhD on the Development of Management Pathways for Mild and Moderate Dry Eye in Primary Healthcare in the Netherlands. Around this period I also became more invovled with supervising postgraduate students undertaking their MSc research projects.   2020 saw unprecendented changes as much of the teaching moved online and I also presented online at the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA) UK Virtual Conference and Exhibition.  

In recent years I have become progressivley more involved with postgraduate education and contribute to the teaching of several postgraduate modules Contact Lenses, Primary Care Update: Practical and Management of Tear Film Disorders. I am currently the Year 3 Lead of the undergraduate BSc programme and a Clinic Coordinator for the NHS Wales University Eye Care Clinic.   I have been delighted to be the recipeint of the Lecturer of the Year award by the Cardiff University Optometry Society (OpSoc) on five occasions, most recently in 2023.  

Honours and awards

  • Lecturer of the Year, Cardiff University Optometry Society (OpSoc) (2023, 2022, 2017, 2016 & 2014)
  • Nominee Enriching Student Life Awards, Cardiff University (2016)
  • Lecturer of the Year, Association of Optometrists (AOP) Awards (2015)
  • Shortlisted for Contribution to Continuing Education and Training (CET) Award, Optician Awards (2008)
  • Travel Award, The College of Optometrists (2008)
  • Travel Award, Graduate School in Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University (2007)

Professional memberships

  • Fellow Higher Education Academy (FHEA) (2012-present)
  • Fellow British Contact Lens Association (FBCLA) (2012-present)
  • Member International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE), 2010-present)
  • Member Association of Optometrists (2005-present)
  • Member The College of Optometrists (MCOptom) (2002-present)
  • Registered Optometrist of General Optical Council (2002-present)

Academic positions

  • 2023- present: External Examiner, Anglia Ruskin Univerity, Cambridge, UK
  • 2017 - present: Senior Lecturer, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
  • 2009 - 2017: Lecturer, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK
  • 2005-2009: Postgraduate Supervisor & PhD student, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, UK

Committees and reviewing

External Committees 

  • Member & Chair of Education Panel British and Irish Universities Committee of Contact Lens Educators (BUCCLE), 2010-present

University Committees

  • Fitness to Practice Committee, School of Healthcare Sciences, College of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Cardiff University, 2023

School Committees

  • Year 3 Undergraduate Lead, 2022- present
  • Director of Clinics, 2014-2020
  • Member of Senior Management Team, 2014-2020
  • Deputy Admissions Tutor, 2014-2018
  • Member of the Board of PG Studies, 2014-present
  • Member of Teaching and Learning Committee, 2009-present
  • Member of the Board of AS Studies, 2009-present
  • Personal Tutor, 2009-present

Other

  • Reviewer Grant, The College of Optometrists
  • Journal Reviewer, Contact Lens Anterior Eye, Optometry in Practice, Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics, Cornea
  • External PhD Examiner, Aston University, Glasgow Caledonian University, Technical University Dublin, The University of Manchester, Dublin Institute of Technology
  • External DOptom Examiner,  Aston University

Supervisions

I am interested in supervising MSc and PhD students in the areas of:

  • Contact Lenses
  • Ocular surface & Tear Film
  • Dry Eye

Current MSc Supervision

  • Sarah Hardy - The Incidence of Patients Reporting Dry Eye Symptoms Following Routine Cataract Surgery, due to complete 2023
  • Moneeba Mehrban - Management of Dry Eye Disease with Topical Vitamin A; a Systematic Review, due to complete 2023