Prof Stephen Gichuhi

Prof Stephen Gichuhi is a clinical academic, based at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, where he is the Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology. 
He is particularly drawn to the practice and teaching of evidence-based medicine. Dr Gichuhi has published more than 80 peer-reviewed articles in ophthalmology and global eye health. He did the MBChB and MMed Ophthalmology program at the University of Nairobi and later MSc in Epidemiology and PhD at the International Center for Eye Health (ICEH), London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM). His PhD research focused on ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) in Kenya, a common HIV-related ocular cancer in the East Africa region. Several landmark publications came out of his PhD work. including a Cochrane Review on interventions for OSSN, two highly cited systematic reviews (OSSN epidemiology and pathophysiology), and the first-ever randomized controlled treatment trial on OSSN, which tested 5-Fluorouracil chemotherapy eyedrops. This landmark trial, published in Lancet Global Health (2016), demonstrated a 70% reduction in the recurrence of this cancer in one year. 

He continues to conduct research work with the Global Burden of Disease project to provide estimates of the burden of eye disease and was a Commissioner of the Lancet Commission on Global Eye Health. He was a co-PI on two trials that tested the effect of simulation eye surgery training for cataract and glaucoma surgery. 
Dr. Gichuhi has had the unique honour of being awarded an OBE because of his research on OSSN and most recently a visit to Buckingham Palace in recognition of an essay he wrote on the environment as a 3rd Form High School student.