Mr. Higgins graduated in 1998 from University College Cork, with an honours degree in Medicine. From 1999-2001 he was Ophthalmic Research Fellow at the Department of Academic Surgery, University College Cork, studying the Immunology of Neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration. His thesis investigated possible links between sunlight-related oxidative stress and cytokine mediated angiogenesis, for which he was awarded a Medical Doctorate (MD).

From 2001-2010, Mr. Higgins trained as an Ophthalmic Surgeon in Cork, Liverpool and Perth. His general training was followed by fellowships in Oculoplastic Surgery (Liverpool) and Corneal and Anterior Segment Disease (Perth, Western Australia).


Mr. Higgins is a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (FRCSEd) and the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) and a Member of the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (MRCOphth). He is a member of the Irish College of Ophthalmology and is on the Steering Committee for Medical Ophthalmology training. He has acted as examiner for the Membership of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland on a number of occasions.

In his position at University Hospital Waterford, Mr. Higgins is a surgical trainer and also is involved in teaching of medical students from RCSI. He organises the Ophthalmology Postgraduate Training Programme at UHW and also General Practice Ophthalmology OSCE-Style Teaching Sessions at UHW, the first of which was held in October 2013.

Areas of Interest:
General Ophthalmology
Cataract Surgery
Oculoplastic Surgery
Corneal Transplant.

Mr. Higgins is involved in Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) in Head and Neck Cancer and Melanoma at UHW and regularly collaborates with colleagues in ENT and Dermatology for difficult cases. He also collaborates regularly with Mohs Micrographic Surgeons at St. James’s Hospital and Bons Secours Hospital Cork for challenging periocular skin tumours.

Mr. Higgins has Consulting Rooms at 1 St. Catherines Hall, Catherine Street, Waterford, and he has admitting privileges at Whitfield Clinic, Waterford and Aut Even Hospital Kilkenny, in addition to University Hospital Waterford. He sees patients in Rooms on Thursday and Fridays and he also has a private clinic at Aut Even Hospital, Kilkenny.

Mr. Higgins is a Clinical Senior Lecturer at University College Cork.