Dr. Nichols is also an internationally recognized clinician-scientist with long-standing track record of research development, oversight, and scientific discovery. He has over 180 publications and an h-index of 50.

He maintains an ocular surface research group with full scale capabilities for conducting clinical and basic research receiving funding from the National Eye Institute (NEI).

His research unit employs state-of-the art facilities and equipment for the study of dry eye, meibomian gland disease, and pharmaceutical and medical device development and testing.

He has served on numerous medical/advisory boards and boards of directors. His awards include three Ezell Fellowships, the Korb award, the Borish and Max Schapero Awards, the Fry Medal and Westheimer lecturer, and he is a Distinguished Scholar and Fellow of the National Academies of Practice. Lastly, he is editor-in-chief of Contact Lens Spectrum, the world's leading journal on contact lenses.

Professor, Chief Physician of Ophthalmology, Doctoral Supervisor and Director of Department of Refraction and Myopia Control, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center (ZOC)，Sun Yat-Sen University

Prof. Yang is currently the deputy leader of Optometry and Vision Science Group, Ophthalmology Branch, and Chinese Medical Society. Her research interests include orthokeratology, myopia control, and pediatrics ophthalmology. Yang has obtained more than 20 research funds on projects and has been published in professional journals in these fields. Prof. Yang is a fellow of the International Association of Contact lens educators (FIACLE), a fellow of the International Academic Orthokeratology and Myopia Control (FIAOMC ), and the Fellowship Chair, Asia Section of IAOMC.

Dr Thomas Lam completed his undergraduate training with first-class honours in Optometry from PolyU. He was awarded a PhD scholarship to pursue his study on proteomics and animal myopia. He is among the first to pursue global retinal protein profiling and novel protein regulations in the chick myopia model using a mass spectrometry approach. Dr Lam started his academic career in 2008 as a Lecturer in the School of Optometry in PolyU and obtained his first competitive research grant from the RGC in the following year. In 2010, he relocated to Singapore and helped establish the first BSc Optometry degree programme offered by the University of Manchester (UK). He returned to Hong Kong in 2012 and he is currently an Associate Professor of the School of Optometry and serves as Director of PolyU Shenzhen centralized animal facility and Associate Director of PolyU centralized animal facility.

Dr Lam has a good mix of academic and clinical experience. He obtained his fellowship of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) in 2009. He has more than 15 years experience in clinical supervision in various optometry clinics locally and overseas. He also actively serves in the profession as an editorial board member of international journals, an organizing committee member of international conferences, a councilor of The Hong Kong Society of Professional Optometrists (HKSPO), and a member of The Optometrists Board of Hong Kong, The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region. He is currently a PI of Centre for Eye and Vision Research (CEVR), HK Science Park, Research Centre for SHARP Vision, PolyU, Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation (RCMI), PolyU and Shenzhen Research Institute, PolyU.