Dr Flora Hui

Biography

Dr Flora Hui (BOptom MPhil PhD) is an optometrist clinician scientist with a particular interest in new treatments and diagnostics in eye diseases, ways to improve patient outcomes in optometry and ophthalmology and what the eye can tell us about the brain. She is passionate about SciComm and has made several appearances on radio, TV and digital formats and is one of the 2022 ABC Top 5 for Science. She is one of the Superstars of STEM (2023-2024), a programme run by Science Technology Australia to raise the profile of women and non-binary researchers in STEM.

Dr Hui completed a Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy in the lab, concentrating on glaucoma and using the retina as a biomarker for the brain. She moved into clinical research after her PhD, focusing on developing novel clinical tools that could shorten the timeframe to detect progression in people with glaucoma.

Dr Flora Hui conducted a world-first clinical trial investigating high-dose nicotinamide (Vitamin B3) for neuroprotection in glaucoma, showing that nicotinamide could potentially boost function of nerve cells in the eye. She is currently conducting a large-scale clinical trial on Vitamin B3 in glaucoma to determine whether it should be included as part of routine care.
In addition, she was involved in a landmark study investigating the use of hyperspectral retinal imaging to differentiate people who were diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease.

Flora also has a keen interest in multidisciplinary research and advocacy for early career researchers. She is co-chair of the Early to Mid-Career Academic Association (EMCAA) at the Melbourne School of Health Sciences and an elected member of the Executive Committee for Australasian Association for Academic Primary Care (AAAPC).

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