Dr Heiko Philippin graduated from the University of Freiburg, Germany, in 2000 and completed his postgraduate ophthalmology training there afterwards. Since January 2007 he worked at the Sabatia Eye Hospital, Kenya, before moving in 2009 to the KCMC Department of Ophthalmology in Moshi, Tanzania. Currently, Dr Philippin is the Head of Postgraduate Training and the glaucoma consultant at KCMC Department of Ophthalmology. In 2011, Dr Philippin did an international glaucoma fellowship with Professor Peter Shah at the University of Birmingham, UK. His research interests are largely related to glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. Among other research projects, he is currently involved in a trial exploring the role of laser treatment for glaucoma in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) and in the Kilimanjaro Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme: a pilot project identifying challenges and exploring innovative solutions for diabetic retinopathy screening in SSA.