Dr James Muecke AM is an ophthalmologist based in Adelaide. He graduated with Honors from Adelaide University Medical School in 1988. Following ophthalmology training in Adelaide, James undertook Fellowships in Ophthalmic Plastic Surgery at Salisbury District Hospital in the UK and in Ocular Oncology at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. He returned to Adelaide in 1998 where he has been a Visiting Consultant and Senior Lecturer at Royal Adelaide Hospital (retired 2020) and Women’s & Children’s Hospital (retired 2016). James established the Ophthalmic Oncology Units at these two centres upon his return. In 1999, in conjunction with the Familial Cancer Unit at WCH, James established a national service for genetic testing for retinoblastoma and von Hippel Lindau Syndrome. James also has a keen interest in the field of medical retina, in particular diabetes-related eye disease, vascular eye tumours, and conditions that masquerade as intraocular cancers.

He is the author of numerous publications in the field of ophthalmic oncology - www.researchgate.net/profile/James_Muecke/contributions. James has taught ocular oncology in ten countries in Asia and is the founding Chairman of Sight For All, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting blindness in Australian mainstream and Aboriginal communities and in the low income countries of the world (www.sightforall.org).

James is Australian of the Year for 2020 for his 32 years of humanitarian work. He is using this powerful platform to raise awareness of our poor diet, laden with sugar, which is devastating the health of Australians.

Awards and honors:
• Appointed Lieutenant Governor of South Australia in January 2022
• Degree of Doctor of the University (honoris causa), University of Adelaide, 2021
• Australian of the Year, 2020.
• South Australian of the Year, 2019.
• University of Adelaide Distinguished Alumni Award, 2019
• Hollows Lecture, RANZCO Annual Congress, 2016
• Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Australia, Social Category), 2015
• Finalist, Pride of Australia Medal, 2014
• President’s Leadership Award for blindness prevention in developing countries - Australian Medical Association, 2013.
• Rural Health and Wellbeing Award for service to Aboriginal eye health in South Australia, 2012.
• Member of the Order of Australia for the provision of eye health services to Asian and Australian Aboriginal communities, 2012.
• Outstanding Service to the Prevention of Blindness Award - Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, 2011.