ARU professor wins award for excellence in health
Professor Pardhan receives Muslim News honour from Health Secretary Wes Streeting
Professor Shahina Pardhan and Wes Streeting MP at the Muslim News Awards
A vision-loss expert at Anglia Ruskin University has won a prestigious award for her contribution to healthcare in the UK and globally.
Professor Shahina Pardhan, Director of the Vision and Eye Research Institute (VERI) at ARU, received the prestigious Ibn Sina award for Excellence in Health at the Muslim News Awards.
The award was presented by Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Wes Streeting, in recognition of Professor Pardhan’s groundbreaking work in eyecare and her dedication to reducing blindness in high-risk and underserved communities.
Professor Pardhan is the UK’s first female professor of optometry and a globally respected researcher. She has authored 255 peer-reviewed papers and led numerous international projects focusing on improving eye health outcomes.
Her initiatives, which promote eye care literacy and increasing the uptake of vision screening in different languages, are estimated to have helped more than 163,000 people at high risk of blindness.
The Muslim News Awards for Excellence celebrate the achievements of individuals who have made significant contributions to British society.
In her acceptance speech, Professor Pardhan said: “To be recognised in connection with Ibn Sina, the founder of early modern medicine, is both an honour and humbling. The award is a reminder of the novel purpose that binds us all in healthcare – to heal, to serve, and to reach those in greatest need.
“I stand here today committing the rest of my professional life to advancing eye health for those most at risk of blindness, especially in vulnerable communities where simple interventions can change a life or save one.”