Declan Hovenden
Declan has practised as an optometrist for over 25 years. He graduated from Dublin Institute of Technology’s (DIT) Optometry programme and was awarded Fellowship of the Association of Optometrists Ireland (AOI).
In 2009, Declan returned to DIT (now Technological University Dublin) to take up the role of Clinic Manager & Head Clinical Optometrist at the National Optometry Centre, the clinical training facility for optometry at Technological University Dublin (TU Dublin). The centre delivers full-scope optometry services to the public while delivering the highest standards in clinical education to the university’s optometry students. In 2018 Declan was appointed as Head of Optometry & Assistant Head of School of Physics and Clinical & Optometric Sciences at TU Dublin overseeing and managing all aspects of the university’s optometry function, programmes, and academic, clinical and research teams.
He is an active member of the Association of Optometrists Ireland (currently sitting on Council), the European Academy of Optometry & Optics, and the Medical Advisory Committee of Global Vision’s Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme. He has also been a member of the panel that recently reviewed the “North West Model for the Provision of Eye Care Services” for the Health Service Executive (HSE).
Other qualifications Declan holds are the Certificate in Refractive Surgery (theory), Professional Certificate in Medical Retina (Ulster University) and an MSc in Health Informatics (Trinity College Dublin).