Associate Professor
Alex Black
Faculty of Health,
School of Clinical Sciences,
Optometry and Vision Science
Biography
Dr Alex Black is an Associate Professor and Course Coordinator for the Master of Optometry (OP85) Program within the School of Optometry & Vision Science, Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology. His research interests focus on vision, ageing and visual impairment, and its impacts on functional everyday activities, such as mobility and driving. He is a member of the Vision and Everyday Function research group, within the Centre for Vision and Eye Research,He received his PhD in Vision Science (QUT) in 2010, and completed a Masters of Public Health (University of Queensland) in 2012. He is a registered optometrist, with extensive clinical practice experience. He is an experienced vision researcher and injury epidemiologist, having worked as a research optometrist on a NHMRC Injury Prevention Partnership grant (Prevention of Older People’s Injuries), exploring balance, falls and driving safety among older adults. Dr Black completed his PhD in 2010, exploring the association between visual impairment and falls among older adults. Following this, he worked as a Post-doctoral Research Fellow in the QUT Vision and Driving research laboratory, funded by several NHMRC and ARC grants, examining older drivers’ safety and performance, particularly the impact of declines in visual function, physical capacity and cognitive function.
He commenced his QUT faculty role in 2015, teaching across various pre-clinical optometry skills, clinical practice, and research units in the Bachelor of Vision Science and Master of Optometry courses. In addition, he has an active research program, having received over AUD $3.2 million in grants and industry funding across a broad range of research fields (vision science, road safety, human factors, and education). He also contributes to these fields of research through his roles on international conference committees (Association of Research in Vision & Ophthalmology), journal editorial roles (Clinical & Experimental Optometry), and peer-reviewer for national and international journals and grant agencies. His research interests include:
- Visual impairment
- Ageing and vision
- Falls injury prevention
- Mobility
- Driving safety
- Night-time road safety
- Eye movement and gaze behaviour
- Children’s vision and academic performance
Personal details
Positions
- Associate Professor
Faculty of Health,
School of Clinical Sciences,
Optometry and Vision Science
Keywords
age-related macular degeneration, falls, falls prevention, driving safety, glaucoma, low vision, mobility, visual field loss, visual impairment
Research field
Ophthalmology and optometry
Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2020
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy (Queensland University of Technology)
- Masters of Public Health (University of Queensland)
- GradCertOcTher (Queensland University of Technology)
- GradCertAcPract (Queensland University of Technology)
- Bachelor of Applied Science (Optometry) (Queensland University of Technology)
Professional memberships and associations
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, FHEA
- Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, FAAO
- Member of The Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO)
- Associate Editor, Clinical and Experimental Optometry
Teaching
Learning and Teaching Qualifications
Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice (2017)
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (2018)
Course Coordination
Master of Optometry (OP85): 2020-ongoing
Unit Coordination
OPN264 - Research Project
OPN361 - Evidence Based Optometry
OPN362 - Specialist Clinic 9
OPN462 - Specialist Clinic 10
Other Teaching Activities
OPB656 - Assessment of Vision 6
OPN164 - Research Methods in Optometry & Vision Science: Research Project Supervisor
Publications
- Fylan, F., Bentley, L., Brough, D., King, M., Black, A., King, N. & Wood, J. (2021). Designing cycling and running garments to increase conspicuity. International Journal of Fashion Design, Technology and Education, 14(3), 263–271. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/210528
- White, U., Black, A., Delbaere, K. & Wood, J. (2021). Determinants of concern about falling in adults with age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 41(2), 245–254. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/208136
- Hindmarsh, G., Black, A., White, S., Hopkins, S. & Wood, J. (2021). Eye movement patterns and reading ability in children. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 41(5), 1134–1143. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/213034
- Wood, J., Black, A., Anstey, K. & Horswill, M. (2021). Hazard perception in older drivers with eye disease. Translational Vision Science and Technology, 10(1). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/209574
- Black, A., Wood, J., Hoang, S., Thomas, E. & Webber, A. (2021). Impact of Amblyopia on Visual Attention and Visual Search in Children. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science, 62(4). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/209910
- Wood, J., Black, A., Dingle, K., Rutter, C., DiStefano, M., Koppel, S., Charlton, J. & Bentley, S. (2022). Impact of vision disorders and vision impairment on motor vehicle crash risk and on-road driving performance: A systematic review. Acta Ophthalmologica, 100(2). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/212881
- Dev, M., Wood, J. & Black, A. (2021). The effect of low light levels on postural stability in older adults with age-related macular degeneration. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 41(4), 853–863. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/209911
- Bentley, S., Black, A., Khawaja, N., Fylan, F., Griffiths, A. & Wood, J. (2021). The mental health and wellbeing survey of Australian optometrists. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 41(4), 798–807. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/209912
- Black, A., Duff, R., Hutchinson, M., Ng, I., Phillips, K., Rose, K., Ussher, A. & Wood, J. (2020). Effects of night-time bicycling visibility aids on vehicle passing distance. Accident Analysis and Prevention, 144. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/202158
- Lee, S., Wood, J. & Black, A. (2020). Impact of glaucoma on executive function and visual search. Ophthalmic and Physiological Optics, 40(3), 333–342. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/201741
QUT ePrints
For more publications by Alex, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).
Supervision
Current supervisions
- Developing and Validating Night-Time Driving Hazard Visibility Tests
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Professor Joanne Wood, Associate Professor Philippe Lacherez
Completed supervisions (Doctorate)
- Low Luminance Vision and Function in Older Adults with Visual Impairment from Age-related Macular Degeneration (2021)
- Concern about Falling in People with Age-Related Macular Degeneration (2020)
- Eye Movements and Driving-Related Performance of Older Adults with Visual Impairment (2017)
- Night Driving and Assessment of Mesopic Vision for Older Adults (2016)
Supervision topics
The supervisions listed above are only a selection.