A/Prof Dr Alok Sharma
Ophthalmologist | Educator | Humanitarian | Rotarian
A/Prof Dr Alok Sharma is a highly experienced comprehensive ophthalmologist with a special interest in glaucoma management and advanced cataract surgery. He is the Principal and Director of Riverina Eye Care Centre and has been providing high-quality ophthalmic care to Wagga Wagga and the wider Riverina region since 2002.
He completed his advanced ophthalmology training at Sydney Eye Hospital, Liverpool Hospital and The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
As Director of Ophthalmology Services at Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, A/Prof Sharma is dedicated to ensuring that rural and regional communities across New South Wales have access to high-quality specialist eye care.
Commitment to Education
A/Prof Sharma is passionate about medical education, mentorship and surgical training. Over his career, he has contributed to the education and training of more than 135 ophthalmology registrars and other healthcare professionals, including medical students, optometrists and general practitioners.
Humanitarian Service — Darkness to Light
A dedicated Rotarian for 23 years, A/Prof Sharma is the founder of Darkness to Light, a humanitarian initiative of the Rotary Club of Wagga Wagga.
The project is committed to preventing avoidable blindness, improving access to eye care and restoring sight to disadvantaged communities across the Riverina, India and Timor-Leste (East Timor).
A Lifelong Commitment to Service
A/Prof Sharma's professional and humanitarian work reflects his commitment to clinical excellence, medical education and community service, guided by the Rotary principle of Service Above Self.
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Conjoint Associate Professor, School of Clinical Medicine, UNSW Medicine & Health, Rural Clinical Campus, Wagga Wagga
Director, Department of Ophthalmology, Wagga Wagga Base Hospital
Visiting Medical Officer, Calvary Hospital and Calvary Surgicentre Wagga Wagga
Visiting Medical Officer, Riverina Day Surgery Wagga Wagga
Visiting Medical Officer, Wagga Wagga Base Hospital
Member, Medical Advisory Committee, Calvary Hospital Wagga Wagga
Rural Vice Chairperson, RANZCO, New South Wales Branch
Councillor, Royal Australian and New Zealand College of ophthalmologists (RANZCO)
Chair, SIMG Committee RANZCO
Rural Vice Chairperson, RANZCO, New South Wales Branch
Member, Education Committee RANZCO
Member, Executive committee, Rural ophthalmology group
Member, Work force committee, RANZCO
Member, Medical Advisory group Calvary Hospital Wagga Wagga
Member, UTS Orthoptics Industry Advisory Board
Member, Australia and New Zealand chapter, International Society of Manual Small incision Cataract Surgeons Executive committee
Past appointments
Member, CPD committee, RANZCO
Member, Work Force committee, RANZCO
Member, Rural Audit committee (multi surgical college committee)
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1. Landers J, Sharma A, Goldberg I, Graham S. Topography of the frequency doubling perimetry visual field compared with that of short wavelength and achromatic automated perimetry visual fields. Br J Ophthalmol. 2006;90(1):70–74.
2. Landers J, Sharma A, Goldberg I, Graham S. A comparison of perimetric results with the Medmont and Humphrey perimeters. Br J Ophthalmol. 2003;87(6):690–694.
3. Singh RP, Goldberg I, Graham SL, Sharma A, Mohsin M. Central corneal thickness, tonometry, and ocular dimensions in glaucoma and ocular hypertension. J Glaucoma. 2001 Jun;10(3):206–210. doi: 10.1097/00061198-200106000-00011. PMID: 11442184.
4. Landers J, Sharma A, Goldberg I, Graham SL. Comparison of visual field sensitivities between the Medmont automated perimeter and the Humphrey field analyser. Clin Exp Ophthalmol. 2010;38(3):273–276.
5. Landers J, Sharma A, Goldberg I, Graham S. A comparison of diagnostic protocols for interpretation of frequency doubling perimetry visual fields in glaucoma. J Glaucoma. 2006;15(4):310–314.
6. Landers J, Sharma A, Goldberg I, Graham S. A comparison of global indices between the Medmont Automated Perimeter and the Humphrey Field Analyzer. Br J Ophthalmol. 2007;91(10):1285–1287.
7. Sharma AK, Goldberg I, Graham SL, Mohsin M. Comparison of the Humphrey Swedish interactive thresholding algorithm (SITA) and full threshold strategies. J Glaucoma. 2000;9(1):20–27.
8. Woo D, Leong J, Waring D, Sharma A, Martin P. Orbital gastrointestinal stromal tumor metastasis. Orbit.2012;31(2):129–131. doi: 10.3109/01676830.2011.638100.
9. Chaudhary U, Nagpal RC, Malik AK, Kumar A. Comparative evaluation of antimicrobial activity of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)-iodine versus topical antibiotics in cataract surgery. J Indian Med Assoc. 1998 Jul;96(7):202–204. PMID: 9830286.
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RANZCO Award for Excellence in Training 2025 to exemplify excellence in planning, communication, assessment and evidence-based professional practice
Award for Excellence in Training given by RANZCO at National conference.
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Sappire Pins, Rotary Club of Wagga Wagga, 2017 and 2025
Vocational Excellence Award, 2016
Service Above Self Award, 2012 – The Service Above Self Award is Rotary International’s highest honor for individual Rotarians and Rotaractors, recognising up to 150 people annually for exemplary humanitarian service.
Outstanding Rotarian of the year Distt 9700, 2010
Paul Harris Fellowship, 2007
Outstanding Rotarian of year Distt 9700, 2006
Rotary foundation District Award for Service to visually impaired, 2006
Rotarian of the Year Rotary club of Wagga Wagga, 2006
Articles and advocacy
Darkness to Light was proudly featured in 60 Years, Sixty Stories, a publication by Australian Rotary Districts celebrating inspiring community initiatives and their impact, which was launched by the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Ms Sam Mostyn AC.
An interview with Dr Alok Sharma highlighting his advocacy for improved access to ophthalmology services in rural and regional Australia.
Dr Alok Sharma was featured in the October 2026 edition of Insight Magazine, reflecting on 10 years of iStent in Australia and how minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) has transformed glaucoma management for patients in rural and regional communities.
Dr Alok Sharma was featured in the October 2026 Australian Society of Ophthalmologists Bulletin, highlighting the critical shortage of regional ophthalmologists, the challenges of recruiting specialists to Wagga Wagga, and the need for workforce reform to ensure rural communities have equitable access to quality eye care.