Michael Williams

Michael Williams is a Clinical Associate Professor at Queen's University Belfast, affiliated with the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences. He holds external roles as a Visiting Professor in Optometry at the University of Ulster (since 2021) and as the RCOphth Regional Education Advisor for Northern Ireland (since 2020), organizing postgraduate ophthalmology classes. His research focuses on retinal diseases, particularly macular edema and age-related macular degeneration, with leadership in clinical trials (e.g., BALATON and COMINO for faricimab). He also explores links between Alzheimer’s disease and retinal pathology, as seen in studies on retinal drusen and complement factor H.

Williams is active in medical education, supervising doctoral, master’s, and diploma students in optometry and ophthalmic specialties. He delivers annual teaching sessions on medical retina to optometrists and chairs conferences like the QUB InterSim Conference. Awards include the BHSCT Certificate of Recognition (2024), Compassion in Simulation Award (2023), and James Magill Trophy (2008). His work aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals related to health and well-being.

Key contributions include pioneering preservative-removed eye drop formulations, evaluating simulation-based training for ophthalmology residents, and developing patient-centered tools like the Open Symptom Framework. He has published extensively in ophthalmology, neurology, and medical education journals, with over 87 research outputs and 90 professional activities since 2004.