Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA)

At CERA, we’re proud of our diverse community of talented researchers from across the globe🌏 Head of Ophthalmic Neuroscience, Dr Xavier Hadoux, has deservedly been nominated for the 2024 French-Australian Excellence Awards for his work with startup Enlighten Imaging – using hyperspectral imaging to find new ways to detecting and diagnosing eye and brain diseases👁 Vote #1 for Xavier at the link below!

At CERA and Cerulea Clinical Trials, we believe involving consumers – people with lived experience of eye conditions and vision loss – is essential for driving impactful and meaningful research Last Friday, our communities came together at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital to celebrate the launch of our Consumer Advisory Group (CAG) – which will play a critical role in ensuring the consumer voice is not only heard but actively shapes our research direction. CAG Chair and CERA Board Director Simon Brewin introduced our group, made up of dedicated consumers with lived experiences, advocacy organisation members and CERA and Cerulea leaders and researchers. Cerulea CEO and CAG representative Michelle Gallaher and CERA Retinal Gene Therapy Unit Co-Lead Associate Professor Lauren Ayton discussed why involving consumers is vital to furthering our research and, ultimately, finding treatments for vision-threatening eye diseases. Those who joined in person also explored the latest in vision science at our Mini Vision Expo and met our friends from Vision Australia and Guide Dogs Victoria. A special shout out to our special guest M.C. (and CAG representative) Dr Flora Hui, and a big thank you to everyone who attended, whether in-person or online. And, of course, we can't forget our amazing Consumer Advisory Group, which also includes Dr Colleen Lewis, Daniel Talko, Jane Cherry, Dr Ronelle Hutchinson, Chris Edwards, Dr Luis Alarcon Martinez, Dr Myra McGuinness, Professor Lyndell Lim and Kelly Schulz. You can find out more about our Consumer Program and meet our Consumer Advisory Group here: https://lnkd.in/gXdfBNjP

Join us! Hope in Sight Giving Day – one week to go... On October 10, Our Hope in Sight Giving Day is focused on raising $150,000 to fuel breakthroughs in sight-saving research. We're honoured to have para-triathlete Maggie Sandles, living with Usher Syndrome, as an advocate for this important cause. Her story reflects the strength and resilience of those living with inherited retinal diseases—conditions that currently have no cure. With your support, we can make strides towards new treatments for inherited retinal diseases. Thanks to our generous matching donors, the first $50,000 in donations will be tripled. That means every $1 you donate becomes $3 for vital research advancing new treatments for eye diseases like Usher Syndrome. You can make a difference by registering your donation early - Charidy link in the comments. Keith Martin, Lauren Ayton, Thomas Edwards, Michelle Gallaher

We recently made a donation of medical supplies from our research labs that would otherwise go to landfill due to nearing expiry dates. Partnering with Medishare through the Kits4Life platform, we are ensuring that unused supplies are redirected to where they are most needed. Some of the recent donation will be used to support healthcare efforts in the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste. The kits will help equip the Solomon Islands Institute of Sport for the upcoming South Pacific Games and support the Kids Ark charitable school’s science laboratory in Timor-Leste.

We are adding our voice to the approbation as the University of Melbourne announces the appointment of its new Vice-Chancellor! CERA has a proud and enduring partnership with the university, and together, we are advancing ophthalmic research that leads to innovative treatments for eye diseases. We look forward to continuing our shared mission of transforming lives through world-class research and education under this new leadership. Congratulations to the University of Melbourne on this important announcement. 

👏 Let's keep the celebrations for World Retina Day going! Love your work, Dr Jason Ha

🌍 Celebrating World Retina Day and New Research Priorities for Inherited Retinal Diseases (IRDs) 🌍 Today is World Retina Day—or it was last Tuesday, depends who you ask—but more importantly the Australian research priorities for IRDs were launched at NSW Parliament House last week, marking a significant step forward. Led by Dr Eden Robertson and supported by the James Lind Alliance Priority Setting Partnership, this project aligned the goals of researchers with those impacted by IRDs, ensuring lived experience was at the heart of the process. "We need to better align the goals of researchers and those people with IRD." - Dr Eden Robertson We are proud to have supported this project and to have Associate Professor Lauren Ayton as part of its steering committee. And also to celebrate World Retina Day with the many CERA researchers working towards improving the lives of people with IRDs and their families. https://lnkd.in/gh7sgSzN #WorldRetinaDay #IRDResearch #CERA #LivedExperience #MedicalResearch

September is World Alzheimer’s Month, and a good time to reflect on a report from earlier in the year by The Lancet Commission. The report identified vision loss as a modifiable risk factor for dementia. So what does that actually mean? CERA’s Managing Director, Professor Keith Martin, emphasises the importance of addressing vision loss for maintaining overall health into older age. With projections of 150 million people living with dementia by 2050, even a small reduction in untreated vision loss could prevent millions of future dementia cases. Vision loss doesn’t just affect sight—it impacts social interactions, physical activity, and overall well-being, all of which are essential to staying healthy. Research at CERA is exploring the connection between the eye and the brain, including cutting-edge projects like our hyperspectral imaging technology, which aims to detect early signs of Alzheimer’s through the eye. “When we treat a person’s vision, we’re often also improving their overall physical and mental health,” says Professor Martin. By addressing vision loss, we’re opening the door to more effective preventative treatments for dementia and improving quality of life for millions. You can read more about this important topic on our website. https://lnkd.in/gTPGXkYT #WorldAlzheimersMonth #VisionHealth #DementiaResearch #CERA #EyeResearch #BrainHealth #PreventativeCare

A huge congratulations to Lisa Kearns, recipient of the Mito Foundation Health Professional Award! 🏆 Presented during last week’s Mitochondrial Disease Awareness Week. Research Orthoptist and Associate Genetic Counsellor in CERA’s Clinical Genetics team is just one of the important roles Lisa holds. She has dedicated her career to improving the lives of people with inherited eye diseases, specifically Leber Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON). From guiding families through complex genetic information to providing critical support through clinical care and the latest research, Lisa is often the first point of contact for those facing a LHON diagnosis. Her work doesn’t stop there—Lisa’s strong connections with the Mito Foundation and other support groups ensure that families receive the comprehensive care and support they need. Join us in congratulating Lisa on this well-deserved recognition! 👏 #CERA #MitoFoundation #LHON #GeneticCounselling #EyeResearch

Are you driven to improve how research information is shared with people?   The Meeting Access and Inclusion Needs (MAIN) project is focused on enhancing the way clinical research information is provided to potential participants as part of the informed consent procedure. We are looking for research staff volunteers to share their insights.   Your feedback will play a key role in developing clearer, more accessible information and how that can, in turn, empower participants and improve research outcomes.   Research staff: You’re invited to take part in a short, anonymous online survey that takes 10-15 minutes to complete.    HREC and RGO staff haven’t been forgotten. There’s a tailored survey specifically for you.   - Research staff survey: https://lnkd.in/g9ZdFydu   - HREC and RGO staff survey: https://lnkd.in/g-3Btp2a   If you’d like to learn more about the project or have any questions, feel free to email Fleur O'Hare at fohare@cera.org.au or visit the MAIN project website: https://lnkd.in/gYR6jKDh