معرفی
Dr Paul Roberts is a Lecturer in the Department of Optometry and Visual Sciences at City St George’s, University of London, where he leads the Mathematical & Computational Ophthalmology (MaCO) Lab. He is also an editorial board member for Translational Vision Science & Technology and Artificial Intelligence in Vision and Ophthalmology, and guest associate editor for Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science.
He obtained his MMath in Mathematics (2006–2010) and DPhil in Systems Biology (2010–2015) from the University of Oxford, and became an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy in 2014. After postdoctoral fellowships at the Universities of Birmingham (2015–2018) and Sussex (2019–2022), and a Centre Fellowship at Birmingham (2021–2024), he took up his current lectureship in July 2024.
Roberts’ research integrates mathematical biology with clinical ophthalmology to understand and predict ocular physiology and pathology. His work focuses on:
- Mechanistic modelling of retinal structure and function in health, development and disease.
- Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic models for ocular drug delivery, including anti-VEGF agents.
- Computational approaches to retinitis pigmentosa, exploring both trophic-factor and oxygen-toxicity hypotheses.
- In silico clinical trials to accelerate translational impact and personalised therapy.
Across more than 20 peer-reviewed publications since 2016, Roberts’ articles reveal a consistent trajectory toward translational mathematical ophthalmology. Early work established biophysical models of retinal oxygenation and neuroglobin function, followed by detailed studies of photoreceptor degeneration patterns in retinitis pigmentosa under competing mechanistic hypotheses. Recent outputs extend these frameworks to pharmacokinetic modelling of ranibizumab delivery and to zebrafish and avian retina circuitry, demonstrating broad applicability of mathematical approaches across species and scales.
Scientific Awards & Editorial Service
- Associate Fellow, Higher Education Academy (AFHEA), University of Oxford, 2014.
- Editorial Board Member, Translational Vision Science & Technology (TVST), 2024–present.
- Editorial Board Member, Artificial Intelligence in Vision and Ophthalmology (AIVO), 2024–present.
- Guest Associate Editor & Special Issue Creator, Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS) – Mathematical and Computational Ophthalmology, 2023–present.
Research Group & Collaboration
Roberts founded and directs the Mathematical & Computational Ophthalmology (MaCO) Lab at City St George’s, fostering interdisciplinary collaborations with experimental biologists, biomedical engineers and clinicians. He also co-organises the international Mathematical and Computational Ophthalmology seminar series alongside Prof Philip J Luthert and Prof David P Crabb, further expanding the global network of computational vision scientists.
