After retiring from his post earlier in 2025 as Consultant Hospital Optometrist and Head of Optometry Services at Sunderland Eye Infirmary (SEI) – having established SEI’s Optometry Department 30 years earlier – Chris Steele FCOptom decided he was not ready to put away his slit lamp entirely. Chris applied for the role of Acuity Clinical Editor and will use his wealth of experience to ensure that College members are best prepared as their role evolves in the years ahead. 

While Chris’ appointment seems like a perfect pairing for both him and the journal, his career has been a journey he never expected in his youth.

“I became interested in optometry as a boy of 15, when I first had my eyes examined. I found out that I was short-sighted and I needed spectacles. I think the realisation that the world didn’t have to be blurred was quite a revelation!” Chris says. 

“At the time I was keen to become a fighter pilot, so I realised those dreams were shattered. But optometry appealed to me: it was such an interesting role, helping to give people the best sight possible.”