Alan C Bird
Professor
Institute of Ophthalmology, UCL, London University
London
Biography
After undergraduate studies at Guys Hospital Medical School, Dr. Alan Bird completed junior posts in general Medicine, Surgery and Neurosurgery. After a residency in Ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital he worked as Senior Registrar at The London Hospital and The Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Queen Square. This was followed by a Fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute with Dr. Lawton Smith and a brief period with Dr Hoyt in San Francisco. On returning to in 1969 London Alan Bird was appointed to the Institute of Ophthalmology as Lecturer, and subsequently Senior Lecturer, Reader and Professor, and Consultant at Moorfields Eye Hospital. He changed his main interests from neuro-ophthalmology to retina, and a specialised clinical service was established. This was aided by the conversion of clinical activity in Moorfields Eye Hospital to specialised Services, and the Medical Retinal Service now holds 34 clinics each week, and has 12 Consultants. Over the years a productive multidisciplinary research team developed for the investigation of monogenic retinal disorders and age-related macular disease. Investigative techniques included molecular genetics, electrophysiology, psychophysics, specialised imaging and morphology. Establishment of research programmes was aided by the successful development of the Institute of Ophthalmology, which became a School of University College, London. In order to contribute fully to research, he spent a sabbatical period with Dr Dean Bok at UCLA in 1985. On October 1st 2005 Dr Bird retired from full time clinical practice and was appointed Emeritus Professor at London University and Honorary Consultant, Moorfields Eye Hospital so that research and teaching can be continued. Alan C Bird has completed his junior posts in general Medicine, Surgery and Neurosurgery. After a residency in Ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital he worked as Senior Registrar at The London Hospital and The Hospital for Nervous Diseases, Queen Square. This was followed by a Fellowship in neuro-ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute with Dr. Lawton Smith and a brief period with Dr Hoyt in San Francisco.
Research Interest