About

Barbara is the Director of Postgraduate Taught Programmes in the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences at WOPEC, Cardiff University and she practices one day a week in Monmouth, providing the full range of primary eye care services available in Wales.

Barbara spent her early optometric career in the Hospital Eye Service in Oxford, Nigeria and Birmingham. In 1996, Barbara moved to London and became the first optometrist to work for the national charity, RNIB. Barbara has been involved in undergraduate optometric clinical teaching in Aston, Bradford and Cardiff Universities and was an Examiner for the College of Optometrists. In 2003 she moved to Cardiff to be Clinical Lead for the Low Vision Service Wales. Together with Nik Sheen she was also responsible for providing all the training, accreditation and re-accreditation for optometrists in Wales who provided the Primary Eyecare Acute Referral Scheme (PEARS), the Welsh Eye Health Examination (WEHE) and the Welsh Low Vision Service. During that time she also completed a part time PhD at Cardiff University. In 2009, Barbara and Nik Sheen became founding co-Directors of WOPEC which has had over 10,000 learners since it was established. From October 2012 to October 2016 Barbara completed a four year part time secondment as the Welsh Government as the Chief Optometric Advisor. 

Aimee graduated from University of Gloucestershire in 2023 with a degree in Events Management. She joined the WOPEC team in May 2021. She handles general admin, planning of commissioned work events and planning of postgraduate practical days.

Sasha graduated from Cardiff University in 1994. She achieved her qualifying exams and continued to practice for 7 years in a large multiple opticians in Cardiff city centre. Since 2004 she is a self employed optometrist, working in various independent and multiple practices throughout South Wales.

She is accredited for EHEW services in Wales. She has taken several postgraduate optometry modules and has gained Professional Certificates in Glaucoma and Medical Retina.

Since commencing employment at Cardiff University in 2010, Sasha supervises postgraduate and undergraduate clinics, delivers EHEW training and accreditation to Welsh practitioners, and teaches on postgraduate modules. She continues to work in primary care practice and virtual NHS glaucoma clinics.

Stef graduated from Glamorgan University in 2008, before completing a postgraduate degree in Health Psychology. For the last 2 years, Stef has worked in the Eye Clinic at Cardiff University as an Optical Assistant but has recently left her post to join the WOPEC team as an IT administrator.