Professor Maurice Yap completed his BSc and PhD degrees at the University of Bradford, UK. After postdoctoral studies, he joined the Hong Kong Polytechnic in 1987. From 1991-8, he served as senior lecturer in the Department of Optometry and Vision Science at the University of Auckland. He returned to the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in 1998 as Professor and was promoted to Chair Professor of Optometry in 2003. He was the K.B. Woo Family Professor in Optometry until his retirement in 2022.

Professor Yap has served as Head of the Department of Optometry and Radiography (1998-2005) and the School of Optometry (2005-7). He was Associate Dean (2010-1) and Dean of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences (2011-7). He has served on numerous university committees/panels, and chaired the University Equipment and General Purchases Tender Committee (2018-22) as well as the Grievance Committee (2020-2).

Professor Yap was a member of the Hospital Authority Board from 2011-8 and served on several of its functional committees, including the Executive Committee. He chaired the Main Tender Board (2012-8)and the Medical Services Development Committee (2013-8) . He has served on numerous appointment panels for senior management staff and chaired panels reviewing clinical governance and sentinel & serious untoward events policy. He served as a member of the Hospital Governing Committee of the Hong Kong Children’s Hospital (2018-20) and currently chairs the Hospital Governing Committee of Shatin Hospital.

Professor Yap has served on various committees and panels of the Food and Health Bureau of the HKSAR Government and currently serves on the Grant Review Board of the Health & Medical Research Fund. He has also served on programme accreditation and review panels for the Nursing Council (HKSAR), the Optometry Council of Australia and New Zealand and the Open University of Hong Kong.

In recognition of his public service, Professor Yap was appointed a Justice of the Peace by the HKSAR Government in 2015.

• Myopia
• Optometry services
• Healthcare governance