Congratulations to Dr. Philipa Asantewaa Larbi for winning the 2023 The Optical Foundation Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Optometry

Philipa’s journey began as a student at the Department of Optometry and Visual Science at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology in Kumasi, Ghana.

Her extraordinary qualities were evident even in her early years of academic pursuit. Beyond her academic excellence, she is a community leader and an advocate for eye health education. Her involvement in eye health screening programs while still a student demonstrated her remarkable ability to initiate and successfully complete projects for the betterment of her community, even with limited resources. For the past seven years, she has actively collaborated with radio stations to educate the public on eye health issues, consistently making weekly appearances on Spirit Fm’s morning show, reaching a broad audience with valuable information.

In addition to receiving a trophy,  the recipient of The Optical Foundation Early Career Award for Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Optometry, is provided a mentorship program. Out of the options of Clinical, Academia, Industry and Public health, Philipa indicated her preference in the Public Health Mentorship Program and her mentor is Luigi Bilotto.

This program will provide her with guidance, support, and the transferal of a wealth of knowledge to help her further develop her optometry career in public health.

With her diverse background equips her to tackle challenges effectively, including public health, marketing, and research, and in pursuing an MSc in Clinical Optometry on a Commonwealth Scholarship at Cardiff University she is posed to continue her Outstanding Contributions in the Field of Optometry.