Professor Douglas Coster at age 50 years has had a brilliant career as an ophthalmologist. He has an interest in application of technology to increase capability in medicine and to cut costs.

He has worked closely with companies such as Sola Optical on development of the first disposable soft contact lenses, with development of a pulsed Nd-YAG laser which led to formation of Laserex, and he was a co-founder of Scan Optics which makes operating microscopes sold in many countries.

Professor Coster pioneered day surgery for eye patients in the 1980's and established the first eye bank in Australia. Corneal transplants and microsurgical conditions are at the forefront of international activity, and his unit has clientel from UK, USA and elsewhere.

He attracts substantial research support as "Lions" Professor, and despite a busy operating regime fulfills major consultancies at home and abroad, serves on government committees and boards and publishes many papers and chapters for books.