UQ medical student wins Rhodes

A University of Queensland medical student and former Australian volleyball player has been chosen as the 2002 Queensland Rhodes Scholar.

Chris Layton will graduate in Medicine next year after completing his first degree in Optometry, which he chose after seeing the huge impact cataract removal had on family members experiencing vision problems.

Mr Layton is now keen to make a difference in the lives of the world`s 300 million blind people and be part of exciting research into blindness prevention being undertaken at Oxford University in the United Kingdom.

He intends completing a Doctor of Philosophy at Oxford as part of a project team researching ways of making artificial retinas for people who are already blind.

Mr Layton`s academic achievements - which include a University Medal for his Optometry degree at Queensland University of Technology - are mirrored by his sporting achievements as a member of the Australian Volleyball Squad for four years and being selected to attend the World University Games in Sicily in 1998.

"Sporting achievements show a degree of dedication that forces you to manage your time well, so they can actually improve your academic performance not detract from it," Mr Layton said.

The 24-year-old`s Rhodes Scholarship win over a field of five other candidates was announced last night by The Governor of Queensland His Excellency Major General Peter Arnison.

A total of nine Rhodes Scholarships are awarded nationally each year, one for each state and three for Australia-at-large.
For further information, contact Chris Layton (mobile 0419 760 742, telephone 07 3398 1949) or Jane Milburn at UQ Communications on (telephone 07 3365 1120)