Vision science pioneer awarded MBE

Professor Anna Horwood has been appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the New Year's Honours List for services to Orthoptics and Research in Visual Development.

The honour recognises Professor Horwood’s extensive research and global impact, which has helped people to receive more effective treatment for eye-movement issues, such as childhood squint (strabismus).

Professor Horwood is professor emerita at the University of Reading and has worked as an orthoptist at the Royal Berkshire Hospital since 1981. She came to the University as a mature student,resulting in a long research collaboration with mentor and colleague Professor Tricia Riddell in the School of Psychologyand Clinical Language Sciences. From 2006 to 2020 Annaled the University of Reading’s Infant Vision Lab.

Professor Horwood’s research provided the first laboratory evidence to overturn more than a century of previous understanding used by clinicians, who had struggled to explain why patients responded differently to standard treatments. 

Professor Robert Van de Noort, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Reading, said: “Congratulations to Professor Horwood for this well-deserved honour, for her career in research and practice which has had a huge impact on people’s lives.

“By working closely with healthcare clinicians, and by setting a clear mission to carry out research that makes a difference to people, Professor Horwood’s work exemplifies what is possible when researchers forge partnerships in areas where new ideas are needed.

“Her commitment to research spanning decades shows Anna’s dedication to orthoptics and is evidenced in her profound impact on people worldwide suffering from a wide range of eyesightissues.” 

Global influence

Professor Horwood’s work has made outstanding contributions to research on eye movement disorders, helping reshape global understanding of how eyes learn to process visual cues. Her research has led to major changes in clinical practice and influenced international guidelines for treatment of child and adult eye-coordination problems.

The research from the Infant Vision Laboratory provided pioneering laboratory evidence to overturn more than a century of previous understanding used by clinicians, who had struggled to explain why patients responded differently to standard treatments. 

She served as Research and Innovation Director of the British & Irish Orthoptic Society, andhas contributed to professional education and clinical standard-setting in the UK and abroad.

Professor Horwood said: “I am deeply honoured to be appointed MBE, for my work which would have been impossible without the support and dedication of hundreds of colleagues, partners and patients and their families across my career?Orthoptics is a tiny profession with limited research capacity so the collaboration with the University has been critical”.

“I am extremely proud to see the widespread benefit of our research, which has always been about improving patient outcomes and seeing the help it provides to practitioners,who are working every day to support children and adults to overcome common vision issues.”

As well as Professor Horwood’s academic research, she continues to inform scientific understanding and clinical decision-making, working with patients at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, and volunteering across the world to teach orthoptics.