A University of Nottingham professor was invited to Buckingham Palace this week to be officially honoured for his contribution to improving eye healthcare, health education and pioneering research into ophthalmology.

Harminder Dua, Professor of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, in the University’s School of Medicine, and his family travelled to London on Tuesday 5 November for the investiture ceremony, where he was made a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by His Royal Highness, the Duke of Cambridge.

Professor Dua was among almost 70 other people receiving their honours in the ceremony, held in the lavish Buckingham Palace ballroom. During his investiture he spent several minutes chatting to the Duke about ophthalmology research and his specialist areas of expertise, corneal disease, which threatens the sight of millions of people around the world, and developments in corneal transplants.

Speaking about the award, he said: “It’s a great day out for the whole family. The significance of the award itself was almost overpowered by the experience of the occasion.“

Professor Dua’s most famous contribution to ophthalmology was his research group’s discovery of a previously undetected layer of the human cornea in 2013. His work to develop our understanding of this Pre-Decemet layer – also dubbed Dua’s Layer – has already informed three new surgical techniques and made lamellar corneal transplantation safer.

He served as co-Editor-in-Chief of the British Journal of Ophthalmology and is a past president of both EuCornea and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists. He was made Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists in September 2018.