Mark Willcox

Professor Willcox’s laboratory focuses on contact lens research, specifically understanding the etiology of adverse events and comfort during contact lens wear. His research includes adhesion and biofilm formation of ocular pathogenic microbes (most notably Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and development of novel antimicrobial surfaces. He has established several animal and cell-based models for studying contact lens adverse events and biomaterial infections. His research has also encompassed proteomic, glycomic and lipidomic studies of the tear film and its interaction with contact lenses. He has also investigated the use of tears as the source of biomarkers for diseases such as diabetes, breast and prostate cancer. These research studies have led to the publication of 14 patents. He has published over 400 peer reviewed papers during his career. He has trained many graduate students (55 PhD and 2 MSc), and 15 postdoctoral and clinical fellows. He currently supervises 12 students studying for a PhD.

https://research.unsw.edu.au/people/professor-mark-duncan-willcox