A new book, ‘Opening Eyes’, has been published, documenting the extraordinary career of Professor Hugh Ringland Taylor AC.
In the story, Prof Taylor reflects on how chance encounters and unexpected opportunities shaped his career trajectory from expected private practice to international recognition in epidemiologic work, public health initiatives, and prevention of blindness across multiple countries.
‘Opening Eyes’ serves as testament to what’s possible when clinical expertise meets public health vision, while providing practical guidance for eye care professionals seeking broader community impact.
Prof Taylor’s research portfolio spans continents and conditions – from trachoma and river blindness (onchocerciasis) to groundbreaking research on the effects of ultraviolet light research at Johns Hopkins University, and then the effects of smoking on the eye.
One example demonstrates the potential scale of his public health impact: working in Pakistan during the 1980s, Prof Taylor identified trachoma and vitamin A deficiency among Afghan refugees. Collaborating with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Committee for Refugees (UNHCR), they prescribed treatment for over a million people.
Now Emeritus Professor at the University of Melbourne, Prof Taylor told mivision, “There’s no way that I could sit in my private practice doing a couple of cataracts and ever be able to influence the eye health of a million people. My work has enabled me to have a broader impact in the community.”
Opening Eyes by Hugh R Taylor is published by Kerr Publishing and available in paperback and as an eBook. An audiobook is available at Author’s Republic.
