Remembering Professor Brien Holden four years on

Sydney, Australia, 27 July 2019: Our CEO and founder, Professor Brien Holden passed away four years ago on 27 July 2015. His passion and generosity was legendary. In a remarkable career, Professor Holden became a global leader in eye care and vision research, internationally renowned and awarded scientist and humanitarian who believed in vision for everyone…everywhere.

Professor of Optometry at UNSW Australia and CEO of the Brien Holden Vision Institute, Professor Holden was the driver behind a social enterprise that educated over 180 PhD students, raised over $1.3 billion in research, education and humanitarian funds.

Over time these outcomes helped initiate the global campaign to eliminate blindness and impaired vision due to uncorrected refractive error and developed products that have generated over $26 billion in sales for industry and over $300 million in royalties for partner institutions. Brien Holden Vision Institute is now the largest and most productive vision (correction) research centre in the world.

Nearly all those worldwide who wear contact lenses, have directly benefited from his research efforts, including co-developing silicone hydrogel contact lenses, the most popular contact lens material.

To address uncorrected refractive error, the Brien Holden Vision Institute has delivered eye care services to more than 14 million people in 60 countries; established over 400 vision centres or sites for eye care worldwide; and trained over 250,000 personnel around the world.

To know the eye care profession, you must know about Professor Brien Holden.

Please click here to watch the video: Remembering Brien Holden

Professor Brien Holden’s passion and generosity was legendary. In his remarkable career, Brien Holden became a global leader in eye care and vision research, internationally renowned and awarded scientist and humanitarian who believed in vision for everyone…everywhere.

His own words are well remembered: “I hope to leave the lasting legacy of an institution that is creative, productive, self-sustainable, generates ideas and delivers massively on the whole issue of how to see better and how to deliver to people everywhere the vision that they need: An Institute that has the resources to chase the goals of vision for everyone, everywhere.”

Read more of the incredible life of Professor Brien Holden on our legacy tribute page: Lifetime of Vision

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Acknowledgement of Country

Brien Holden Foundation acknowledges the traditional Aboriginal custodians of the many lands that we live and work on, and their continuing connection to Country and culture.

Acknowledgement of Country

Brien Holden Foundation acknowledges the traditional Aboriginal custodians of the many lands that we live and work on, and their continuing connection to Country and culture.

Our site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use. For more details, please check our Privacy Policy.