Steve Charles, MD FRCOphth studied Medicine at Oxford University and the Royal London Hospital, qualifying in 1983.
He underwent specialist training in Ophthalmology in Newcastle, Cambridge (where he completed an MD thesis in ophthalmic genetics) and Manchester, with extensive sub-specialist training in vitreoretinal surgery. He worked as vitreoretinal fellow in Manchester under Professor David McLeod. Mr Charles then worked as Consultant Vitreoretinal Surgeon at Ulleval University Hospital, Oslo, Norway, before joining MREH as a consultant in 1997.
Mr Charles has a longstanding interest in medical education and training: he organised the internationally recognised Vitreoretinal Fellowship programme at Manchester Royal Eye Hospital from 2000 until 2011, and remains involved in training vitreoretinal surgeons from the UK and Europe, and as far afield as Malaysia, Australia and New Zealand. He regularly gives lectures on vitreoretinal surgery, and is also a regular speaker on ophthalmology training courses for General Practitioners.
He is a council member and recent Past President of the North of England Ophthalmological Society.