Graduated in Optics and Optometry at the University of Valencia (1994-1997). Graduated in Physics at the University of Valencia (2001-2005). Doctorate in Basic and Applied Neurosciences at the University of Valencia (2011).

Currently a full professor at the Faculty of Physics, attached to the Department of Optics, Optometry and Vision Sciences. Lecturer on the Degree in Optics and Optometry.

Member of the Group of Applied Psychophysics (GAP), Optics and Visual Perception Group (GOPV) and the Visual Quality Group of the FOM. Specialized in psychophysical tests for clinical diagnosis.

Biography:

Dr. Walter D. Furlan obtained his PhD in Physics from the National University of La Plata (Argentina) in 1988. He has been Professor of Optics at the University of Valencia (Spain) since 2010. His research covers the field of Optics, initially focusing on phase-space formalisms and later on the design and applications of diffractive optical elements with aperiodic geometries. He is currently co-director of the Diffractive Optics Group, where research mainly focuses on the design of structured diffractive lenses and their applications in optical trapping and ophthalmology.

General indicators of scientific production quality
Number of research six-year periods (sexenios): 6
PhD theses supervised in the last 10 years: 9
h-index: 24

Books and book chapters

• Optical and Optometric Instruments: Theory and Practice (UV-Materials, 1998).

• Foundations of Optometry. Ocular Refraction (UV-Materials, 2009, 2nd ed.).

• “Basic Ophthalmic Instruments” in the book Handbook of Visual Optics (Taylor and Francis Books Inc., ed. Pablo Artal, 2017).

Projects and contracts
Participation in more than fifteen competitive projects at both regional and national levels, serving as principal investigator in most of them.
Responsible for more than ten contracts with companies in R&D projects related to his area of expertise.

Patents
Co-author of 5 national patents, 2 of them with international extension.

Academic and administrative service

• Member of the Doctoral Committee of the program “Advanced Optometry and Vision Science,” University of Valencia (2009–present).

• Secretary of the Department of Optics, University of Valencia (2000–2006).

• Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Physics, University of Valencia (2010–2012).

• Director of the Official Master’s Degree in “Advanced Optometry and Vision Science,” University of Valencia (2019–2024).

Other activities

• Member of the Editorial Board of the journal Clinical Optometry (DovePress).

• Member of the Editorial Board of the journal Photonics (MDPI).

My career combines teaching, research, knowledge transfer, and innovation with social and academic impact. I have supervised 6 doctoral dissertations, 15 Master’s theses (TFM), and 23 Bachelor’s theses (TFG), fostering the training of researchers in optics and optometry.  As a lecturer at the undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels, I have delivered more than 6,000 teaching hours across 28 courses, integrating active learning methodologies and educational technologies.

In research, affiliated with INTRAS (University of Valencia), I have led more than 25 projects focused on vision and road safety, with funding exceeding €4 million. I have carried out interdisciplinary work involving physics, psychology, physical education, engineering, and ophthalmology, applying research outcomes to public policy and the improvement of visual health.

I have actively promoted knowledge transfer through collaborations with industry and the public sector, as well as through the development of guidelines and educational programs in visual health and sustainable mobility. I have organized scientific conferences, including the International Congress of Young Optometrists.

I lead the GIDOP Group and serve as President of the College of Optometrists and Opticians of the Valencian Community, as well as Second Vice President of the General Council of Colleges of Optometrists and Opticians, and as an evaluator in international university accreditation processes.

With three six-year research evaluation periods (sexenios) (two in research and one in knowledge transfer) and more than 50 publications, my work reflects a sustained commitment to quality, innovation, and continuous improvement in visual health, higher education, and service to society.

Daniel Monsálvez Romín graduated in Optics and Optometry from the University of Valencia (2013) and holds a PhD in Optometry and Vision Sciences from the same university (2018). He currently works as a lecturer and researcher (tenured faculty member) in the Department of Optics, Optometry, and Vision Sciences at the Faculty of Physics of the University of Valencia. He began his research in the Optometry research group (GIO) at the University of Valencia (2013). His research focuses on ocular aging, accommodation, and presbyopia, particularly evaluating designs for presbyopia correction. He has collaborated with other research centers, including a research stay at the Department of Physics of the University of Minho (2017). His scientific output includes several articles in JCR-indexed journals and contributions to national and international conferences since 2013. He currently belongs to the Applied Psychophysics (GAP) research group. In the field of education, he has been the principal investigator on various educational innovation projects as a member of the GIDOCV group (www.uv.es/gidocv), focused on improving training in optics and optometry. Since 2024, he has also served as the secretary of his department. He combines teaching, academic administration, and applied research to offer personalized and effective optometric solutions.

Susana Ortí Navarro graduated in Optics and Optometry from the University of Valencia (UV) in 1996. From 2006 to 2008, she completed the first edition of the Official Master's Degree in Advanced Optometry and Vision Sciences at the UV, and obtained her doctorate in 2010. Her contract as an Doctor Assistant began in October 2020, and her contract as a Permanent Professor in October 2024. From 2015 to 2020, she taught as an Associate Professor at the UV, combining this activity with her work in various ophthalmology clinics. She began her research in 2008 with the start of her doctoral thesis within the Optometry Research Group (GIO). Currently, her research is carried out at the UV, in the Faculty of Physics, within the Department of Optics, Optometry, and Vision Sciences. She belongs to the GAP research group (Applied Psychophysics Group), where various studies on visual perception are conducted. They also develop protocols for measuring in vitro optical quality, as well as optical and visual quality measurements of intraocular lenses.

Ana Tauste Francés earned her PhD Cum Laude in Health Sciences from the University of Alicante in 2016. In 2018, her dissertation received the Extraordinary Doctorate Award. Additionally, completing a European research stay at the University of Bergen (Norway) during her doctoral studies allowed her to obtain the International Doctorate distinction.

She graduated in Optics and Optometry from the University of Alicante, where she began her research career with her bachelor’s and master’s final projects on visual health surveillance for computer users and contact lens wearers. This was also the main topic of her doctoral research.

She currently works as an Assistant Professor (Profesora Ayudante Doctora) at the University of Valencia, teaching courses related to Optometry. Previously, she worked as a laboratory technician, optician-optometrist, and conformity assessor at the Notified Body AITEX, where she conducted tests and issued certifications for eye and face protectors. Until 2019, she served in the R&D Department of the Qvision Ophthalmology Unit at Vithas Virgen del Mar Hospital, carrying out activities related to ocular health research. In addition to continuing her doctoral research line—ocular and visual alterations associated with contact lens use in workers exposed to display screens—she has participated in other research projects on refractive surgery, corneal biomechanics, and validation of measurement instruments for ocular parameters. These projects have resulted in scientific publications in journals indexed in the fields of Ophthalmology and Public Health. She has also supervised bachelor’s and master’s theses related to Optics and Optometry and actively participates in conferences on Optics, Optometry, Ophthalmology, Epidemiology, and Public Health. She is currently co-supervising, alongside Dr. Isabel Signes, a doctoral thesis on the prevalence of Computer Vision Syndrome in Kenya, another on outcomes after cataract surgery in Honduras, and another on the prevalence of refractive errors in Kenya. These research projects form part of the research lines of the Preventive Optometry and Visual Treatments Research Group (OPTV), of which Ana Tauste is the Director. She is also a researcher in the Public Health Group at the University of Alicante.

In recent years, she has received training through prestigious universities such as Oxford, in topics related to evidence-based Health Sciences, complemented by non-formal training, as well as specialized courses in Optometry, Contactology, and Visual Health offered by the National College of Opticians-Optometrists and the College of Opticians-Optometrists of the Valencian Community.

Her versatile profile across different areas of health sciences—from Optometry to Public Health—stands out, allowing her to excel in various professional and academic environments.