William Ngo, PhD, OD, FAAO.

WATERLOO, Ontario—The Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) has appointed William Ngo, PhD, OD, FAAO, as head of biosciences. Dr. Ngo is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry and will join CORE in early 2019. CORE, formerly known as the Centre for Contact Lens Research, was established in 1988 at the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science, and took on the new name a year ago. “I had the good fortune of directing Dr. Ngo as he undertook his PhD at the University of Waterloo, and witnessed firsthand his innate intelligence, natural curiosity and ability to build strong relationships with collaborators internally and externally,” CORE director Lyndon Jones, PhD, DSc, FCOptom, FAAO, FBCLA, said in the announcement late last week.

“That cemented my belief that he will have great influence on future discoveries in ocular surface science. He is already making considerable contributions via his postdoctoral pursuits with Professor Jason Nichols, and his return to Waterloo will substantially expand the potential impact of his research.”

Dr. Ngo’s research interests are extensive, including clinical diagnosis and management of dry eye disease, contact lens discomfort, tear film biology and chemistry, and the mechanisms of oxidative stress in meibomian gland disease, the announcement noted. He has authored more than 40 scientific papers, posters, abstracts and presentations in these areas.

In 2011, Dr. Ngo graduated from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry & Vision Science with his Doctor of Optometry degree, followed by earning his PhD (entitled Contemporary Diagnosis and Management of Dry Eye) in 2016. During that time, he was a two-time American Academy of Optometry Foundation Ezell Fellow, was awarded the Desmond Fonn Contact Lens Research Award, and received multiple grants from the Canadian Optometric Education Trust Fund.