Heiko Pult

Dr Heiko Pult (born 1968, in Heidelberg, Germany) is a leading expert for Dry Eye, Contact Lenses, Tear Film and Vision. He is CEO at Horst Riede GmbH in Weinheim and also owns his own research group named Dr Heiko Pult - Optometry and Vision Research, Weinheim, Germany. He is lecturer and an independent investigator of several research groups, companies and schools and author of numerous papers, articles and books.ResearcherID: I-3596-2015

Dr Heiko Pult was initially trained as dispensing optician in the 1980s. He graduated in 1994 as an Optometrist from the College of Optometry in Munich, Germany (Fachakademie für Augenoptik) as Optometrist. German optometry education differs to the Anglo-American system, and so he felt it important to extend clinical skills by taking the Master of Science in Optometry at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (USA), nowadays known as Salus University.Together with the first 40 colleagues from Austria, Switzerland and Germany, he graduated in 1998.After graduation, this group founded the Academic Society of Optometry - of which Dr Heiko Pult was Founding President – to promote continuing education and making Optometry in their countries.

Inspired by different research projects and teaching experiences in contact lenses and tear film, he commenced on a PhD at the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University, UK, from which he graduated in 2008.Subsequently, he continued to research as initially a Visiting Research Fellow at the School of Optometry and Vision Sciences, Cardiff University and as a member of the Contact Lens and Anterior Eye Research (CLAER) Unit, Cardiff. In 2018 he was appointed as Hon.Vis. Professor at Cardiff University, School of Biomedical & Life Sciences. Furthermore he is Honorary Academic Fellow at the Ophthalmic Research Group, Life and Health Sciences, Aston University, Birmingham, UK.

Meanwhile, Dr Heiko Pult is leading expert in his field being acknowledged by different awards and nomination for different work-groups He also is one of the three German ambassadors (Prof.dr. Geerleng, Prof.dr. E. Messner) of the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society

Dr. Heiko Pult is founder of Dr. Heiko Pult - Optometry and Vision Research, a consultancy group specialized in clinical research, mainly focused on the anterior segment of the eye including tear film, Dry Eye, Contact Lenses, Vision and Best Visual Acuity Certification. This research group is dedicated to the delivery of high quality services to industry clients, including set-up of clinical research projects, conducting high quality studies, reviewing of current literature and publishing at scientific conferences or in peer-reviewed journals or magazines. Furthermore, they offer lectures, training and workshops to clinicians, to improve their clinical knowledge and skills.

Co-instantaneous, he is CEO of the clinical optometry offices of Horst Riede GmbH in Weinheim, Germany since 1998.

His areas of research include Cornea, Contact lenses, Blinks, Lids, Tear film, and Vision.

• PhD supervisor and Hon.-Vis. Prof. of the School of Optometry and Visions Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
• Lecturer at Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Center (WOPEC), Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
• Leader of the Dry Eye Module of the Master Course at Wales Optometry Postgraduate Education Center (WOPEC), Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
• Honorary academic fellow at Aston University, Birmingham
• Faculty member at the Vision Care Institute, Johnson & Johnson, Prague, Czech Republic
• Subcommittee member of The Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) International Workshop on Contact Lens Discomfort
• Subcommittee member of The Tear Film & Ocular Surface Society (TFOS) International Dry Eye Workshop
• Invited guest lecturer at national and international institutions and universities

He is a founding member of European Academy of Optometry and Optics (EAOO).

He is a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO), British Contact Lens Association (FBCLA), European Academy of Optometry and Optics (EAOO).

• 2017 Rolf Weinschenk Poster Prize, VDCO: Trunk L., Niedernolte B, Wolffsohn J., Bandlitz S., Pult H. Evaluation of tear meniscus height using different methods. Contact 17, VDCO, Hamburg, Germany
• 2017 BCLA Poster Prize Runner`s Up: Bandlitz S., Purslow Ch., Murphy PJ., Pult H. The Usefulness of optical coherence topography in the evaluation of LIPCOF BCLA Conference, Liverpool, UK
• 2016: 'Exceptional Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science Review` - honoured for 'Exceptionally Good Review' by Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science (IOVS)
• 2015 Peter Abel Award, bestowed by the German Contact Lens & Optometry Association (VDCO) Bandlitz S, Murphy PJ, Purslow C, Pult H. 'The Importance of the Tear Meniscus in the Tear Film'[Die Bedeutung des Tränenmeniskus innerhalb des Tränenfilms].
• 2014 BCLA Poster Prize Runners Up: Pult H. and Riede-Pult BH. Impact of Soft Contact Lenses on Lid-Parallel Conjunctival Folds
• Irving Fatt Memorial Lecture 2014, BCLA
• 2010 Poster Prize 2010 of the European Academy of Optometry and Optics: Pult H., Murphy P.J., Purslow C. The Impact of Soft Contact Lens Wear on Ocular Signs with Increasing Experience
• 2009 Peter Abel Award, bestowed by the German Contact Lens & Optometry Association (VDCO): Pult H., Purslow C., Murphy P.J. The Predictive Ability of Clinical Tests for Dry Eye in Contact Lens Wear
• 2008 Dr Schamberger Award,bestowed by the VDCO: Michel M, Sickenberger W, Pult H. The Effectiveness of Questionnaires in the Determination of Contact Lens Induced Dry Eye.
• 2007 awarded by the ministry of Baden-Württemberg, Germany for exemplary scientific networking and social commitment
• 1993 awarded by the ministry of Bavaria, Germany for outstanding social engagement in Optometry in Burkina Faso/West Africa