Helen Danesh-Meyer

Dame Helen Danesh-Meyer DNZM FRSNZ
Danesh-Meyer in 2023
Born	Helen Victoria Danesh-Meyer 1967 or 1968 (age 57–58) California, U.S.
Alma mater	University of Auckland
Scientific career
Fields	Ophthalmology
Institutions	University of Auckland
Theses	Evaluation of diagnostic procedures, visual outcome and optic nerve morphology in giant cell arteritis  (2004) Evaluation of optic nerve morphology in non-glaucomatous optic neuropathies with quantitative optic nerve imaging modalities  (2013)

Dame Helen Victoria Danesh-Meyer DNZM FRSNZ (born 1967 or 1968) is a New Zealand ophthalmology academic, and since 2008 is a full professor at the University of Auckland. She is the first female professor of ophthalmology in New Zealand, and the second female professor in any surgical speciality in New Zealand. In 2025 Danesh-Meyer was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi.

Early life

Danesh-Meyer was born in California in 1967 or 1968 to Iranian parents—her mother was a gynaecologist and her father a psychologist—and lived in San Francisco until the age of 14, when her father was appointed to a research position at the University of Otago and the family moved to Dunedin. ^[1] There she was educated at Logan Park High School, before going on to study medicine at the University of Otago, graduating MB ChB in 1991. ^[1]

Career

After graduating, Danesh-Meyer worked as a house surgeon at Dunedin Hospital, and began to specialise in ophthalmology in 1993. ^[1] In 1998, she received a fellowship at the Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, where she studied glaucoma. ^[1]

In 2004, Danesh-Meyer earned a MD degree at the University of Auckland with a thesis titled The evaluation of diagnostic procedures, visual outcome and optic nerve morphology in giant cell arteritis. ^[2] and in 2013 she completed a PhD with a thesis titled Evaluation of optic nerve morphology in non-glaucomatous optic neuropathies with quantitative optic nerve imaging modalities, also at the University of Auckland. ^[3]

Danesh-Meyer joined the staff at Auckland in 2001 as an associate professor, and was appointed the Sir William and Lady Stevenson Professor of Ophthalmology in 2008. ^{[4] [5]} She is the first female professor of ophthalmology in New Zealand, ^[6] and the second female professor in any surgical speciality in New Zealand. ^[6]

Danesh-Meyer is the chair and a founding trustee of Glaucoma NZ, a national charity dedicated to glaucoma awareness and support. She leads advocacy, public education and the strategic direction of the organisation. ^[7] In 2022, she co-founded Vision Research Foundation and acts as its scientific director and chair. Vision Research Foundation focuses on supporting early- and mid-career vision researchers in New Zealand. ^[8]

Danesh-Meyer has been an author or co-author of over 200 peer-reviewed publications. ^[6] Much of her academic profile is due to her work on neuro-ophthlamology, eye-brain interactions and glaucoma. ^{[9] [10] [11]} Her work has linked retinal nerve thinning to dementia and inflammation pathways relevant to eye diseases. ^[12]

Honours

In the 2023 New Year Honours, Danesh-Meyer was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to ophthalmology. ^[13] In March 2025, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society Te Apārangi "for being an international leader in the field of neuro-ophthalmic disorders". ^[14] In the 2026 New Year Honours, Danesh-Meyer was promoted to Dame Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, for services to ophthalmology. ^[15]

Danesh-Meyer has received several awards from the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, including the 2022 College Medal and the Dorothy Potter Medal, and she gave the 2022 Dame Ida Mann Lecture. ^[6]

Selected works

• Danesh-Meyer, H. V., H. Birch, JY-F. Ku, Stuart Carroll, and Gregory Gamble. "Reduction of optic nerve fibers in patients with Alzheimer disease identified by laser imaging." Neurology 67, no. 10 (2006): 1852–1854.
• Danesh-Meyer, Helen V., Taras Papchenko, Peter J. Savino, Andrew Law, James Evans, and Greg D. Gamble. "In vivo retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measured by optical coherence tomography predicts visual recovery after surgery for parachiasmal tumors." Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 49, no. 5 (2008): 1879–1885.
• Danesh-Meyer, Helen V. "Radiation-induced optic neuropathy." Journal of Clinical Neuroscience 15, no. 2 (2008): 95–100.
• Danesh-Meyer, Helen V. "Neuroprotection in glaucoma: recent and future directions." Current Opinion in Ophthalmology 22, no. 2 (2011): 78–86.
• Danesh-Meyer, Helen V., Peter J. Savino, and Robert C. Sergott. "Ocular and cerebral ischemia following facial injection of autologous fat." Archives of Ophthalmology 119, no. 5 (2001): 777–778.
• Danesh-Meyer, Helen V., Peter J. Savino, and Robert C. Sergott. "The prevalence of cupping in end-stage arteritic and nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy." Ophthalmology 108, no. 3 (2001): 593–598.

References

1. "The next generation" (PDF). North & South . March 2003. pp. 42–44. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
2. Danesh-Meyer, Helen (2004). Evaluation of diagnostic procedures, visual outcome and optic nerve morphology in giant cell arteritis (MD thesis). ResearchSpace@Auckland, University of Auckland. hdl:2292/5551.
3. Danesh-Meyer, Helen (2013). Evaluation of Optic Nerve Morphology in Non-glaucomatous Optic Neuropathies with Quantitative Optic Nerve Imaging Modalities (Doctoral thesis). ResearchSpace@Auckland, University of Auckland. hdl:2292/22745.
4. "About our department – University of Auckland". www.auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
5. "Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer – The University of Auckland". Unidirectory.auckland.ac.nz.
6. "Kiwi eye surgeon recognised in King's honours list + ' - NZ Optics for all eye health professionals'". www.nzoptics.co.nz. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
7. "About us". Glaucoma NZ. Retrieved 7 November 2025.
8. "About Us". Vision Research Foundation.
9. "The eyes have it : The Listener". Noted.co.nz. Archived from the original on 27 November 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
10. Amy Wiggins (2 November 2017). "Tiny tube saving sight of glaucoma patients in New Zealand". The New Zealand Herald .
11. "Patrick Gower reveals shock glaucoma diagnosis". Stuff.co.nz. 29 June 2018.
12. "Helen DANESH-MEYER | University of Auckland, Auckland | Research profile". ResearchGate.
13. "New Year Honours: New Zealanders recognised across fields from science to sport". Radio New Zealand . 31 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
14. "Latest cohort of Ngā Ahurei a Te Apārangi Fellows announced". Royal Society Te Apārangi. Retrieved 26 March 2025.
15. "New Year 2026 Honours: The full list of knights, dames, honourees". The New Zealand Herald . 31 December 2025. Retrieved 31 December 2025.

External links

• Helen Danesh-Meyer on LinkedIn