Associate Professor O. Matthew Oriowo
Bsc(Optom), MSc, PhD, FAAO
BIOGRAPHY
Associate Professor Oriowo is an honors graduate of the University of Benin, Nigeria where he earned his BSc (Optometry) in 1985 winning the best graduating student award in Physiological Optics. He subsequently obtained MSc and PhD degrees from the University of Waterloo (UW), Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. He won the UW best Master of Science award and was on the postgraduate dean honor's list throughout his research study, and completed his Doctoral degree with distinctions winning the prestigious University of Waterloo Pearson Medal and Certificate for outstanding doctoral research and dissertation.
Prior to embarking on his university teaching career, Dr. Oriowo practiced for 6 years in major hospitals in Kano, and Egbe (Kogi State) and private eye clinics including Metro Eye Clinic, Lagos. In early 1990s, Dr. Oriowo served as Contact Lens and Industrial Vision Consultant in Lagos. Between 1991 and 1992 he served as the National Secretary of the Nigerian Optometric Association. His teaching appointments and experience have been at the University of Benin, University of Houston, University of Waterloo, the Karolinska Institute (Medical University of Stockholm where the Nobel prize is decided and awarded annually), and currently at the King Saud University. Between 1994 and 2002, Dr. Oriowo worked as assistant professor at the School of Optometry University of Waterloo. In 2002 he moved to Sweden as a university professor. He served as the head of department / Director of Studies for Optometry at the Karolinska Institute in the 2003/2004 academic year.
He has received numerous academic scholarships, honours, and awards including the University of Houston College of Optometry Postdoctoral award, University of Waterloo Postgraduate Research scholarship, American Academy of Optometry research awards, Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometry research award, the Canadian Optometric Education Trust Fund, the University of Waterloo Postdoctoral fellowship, the Swedish Ophthalmological Society research fund, the Karolinska Institute distinguished optometry teacher’s award (2003 and 2004) among others. His research record includes an impressive list of publications and conference presentations. He is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, and a member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, International Association of Contact Lens Educators, American Society for Photobiology, and Sigma Xi – the Scientific Research Society (USA).
Currently, Associate Professor Oriowo continues his interests in international optometric education and professionalisation, cornea and contact lens wear, primary eye care, ocular epidemiology, occupational and environmental vision, ocular pathophysiology and toxicology. He has trained many students at all levels of optometry.