Dr Colin Cook, an ophthalmologist at Groote Schuur Hospital, will graduate with a Master's in Public Health this week.

But he's not the only member of the Cook family who will enjoy the limelight. His daughter, Teresa, will also graduate this week, with a BSc in property studies.

"She is greatly amused that her aged parent will also graduate!" Cook joked.

Teresa is the Cooks' first child to be capped.

Cook himself graduated MBChB from UCT in 1977. Since then he has been awarded several fellowships: FCSOphth from the SA College of Ophthalmology and FRCOphth from the Royal College of Ophthalmology.

"For an eye surgeon with a curative, tertiary hospital-based understanding of disease and how to deal with it, a whole new understanding of health and disease has opened up.

"The social scientists from up the hill and the public health specialists from down the hill have a refreshingly different world view!"

Cook, who has an interest in community eye health, said the insights into epidemiology, research methods, biostatistics and health economics were invaluable.

"The most remarkable thing about this was that the School of Public Health actually succeeded in teaching an old (surgical) dog some new tricks, a truly remarkable achievement. Many thanks and congratulations to Leslie London and his department."