Surgery in Ophthalmology
Our Academic Lead
The Ringland Anderson Chair of Ophthalmology and Managing Director of the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) is Professor Keith Martin who joined the University of Melbourne (from the United Kingdom) in February 2019. In his new role, Keith will provide leadership in teaching, research and clinical service in ophthalmology within the Department of Surgery, Melbourne Medical School, and at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
As an Ophthalmologist, Professor Martin specialises in advanced and complex cases of glaucoma in adults and children, particularly uveitic glaucoma, and was elected as the first Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Cambridge in 2010, making him the youngest full Professor at the University of Cambridge Clinical School at the time. A glaucoma specialist, Professor Martin’s ground-breaking research proved that gene therapy and stem cell therapy can reduce optic nerve damage in experimental models of glaucoma. He is co-founder of Quethera, a Cambridge-based gene therapy company that has developed a gene therapy for glaucoma that is currently progressing towards human clinical trials. His other current main research interest is in the potential for regeneration and repair of nerve damage in the eye and brain.
Keith graduated with first-class honours in neuroscience from the University of Cambridge in 1990 and from the University of Oxford’s Clinical School in 1993. He trained in general medicine and neurology at the Hammersmith Hospital and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in London and the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. He completed his higher specialist training in ophthalmology in Cambridge before undertaking three years of research and clinical fellowship training in glaucoma with Harry Quigley at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University and Peng Khaw at the Institute of Ophthalmology in London.
Key Research Areas
Ophthalmology research at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) has a strong reputation for its clinical and translational focus. Ranked amongst the top five ophthalmology research groups globally, its ultimate goal is to find solutions for blinding eye diseases that affect Australians and to pioneer vision regeneration programs to give hope to people who have lost their sight.
CERA Lead Researchers
Professor Keith Martin
Ringland Anderson Professor and Head of Ophthalmology, University of Melbourne Managing Director, Centre For Eye Research Australia
Professor Martin’s research focus is on glaucoma, particularly investigating new strategies to protect and regenerate the optic nerve.
Email: keith.martin@unimelb.edu.au
Associate Professor Peter Van Wijngaarden
Head, Ophthalmic Neuroscience and Deputy Director Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA)
Principal Investigator at Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) and a Senior Clinical Fellow at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Associate Professor Peter van Wijngaarden is an ophthalmologist and medical scientist with research interests in diabetic retinopathy, Alzheimer’s disease and retinal imaging biomarker discovery.
Email: peterv@unimelb.edu.au
Professor Robyn Guymer AM
Head, Macular Research and Deputy Director Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA).
Professor Robyn Guymer AM is a Deputy Director of CERA, the Head of Macular Research at CERA, and Professor of Ophthalmology at Melbourne University. She is also a senior retinal specialist at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital.
Email: rh.guymer@unimelb.edu.au
Professor Paul Baird
NHMRC Senior Research Fellow
Email: pbaird@unimelb.edu.au
Associate Professor Lyndell Lim
Head, Clinical Trials Research.
A Uveitis and Medical Retina Subspecialist, leads the Clinical Trials Research at CERA.
Email: lyndell.lim@unimelb.edu.au
Professor Ming He
Principal Investigator, Professor of Ophthalmic Epidemiology
Professor Mingguang He leads CERA’s ophthalmic epidemiology research and has a particular interest in twin studies, randomised clinical trials and imaging technology.
Email: mingguang.he@unimelb.edu.au
Associate Professor Chi Luu
Principal Research Fellow, Deputy Head, Macular Research, Centre for Eye Research Australia
A/Prof Luu leads the research on preclinical models to better understand the causes and progression of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and to evaluate the efficacy of new interventions. In addition, A/Prof Luu leads the work on neuroprotective electrical stimulation as a method of slowing degeneration of retinal neurons.
Email: chi.luu@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Raymond Wong
Head, Cellular Reprogramming
Dr Wong currently leads the Cellular Reprogramming Group at Centre for Eye Research Australia, and is a Senior Research Fellow with the University of Melbourne.
Email: ching.wong@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Carla Abbott
Research Fellow, Macular Research and Bionic Eye Research
Dr Carla Abbott runs both preclinical and clinical studies to investigate the underlying causes of and potential treatments for retinal and optic nerve disease.
Email: abbott.c@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Maria Isabel Lopez Sanchez
Head of Mitochondrial Biology and Disease
Dr Isabel Lopez Sanchez pursued her education in France and the USA, and obtained her PhD in 2014 from the University of Western Australia. She is currently a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Mitochondria and Neurodegeneration Laboratory at the Centre for Eye Research Australia, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne. Her current research investigates how defects in energy production by mitochondria lead to vision loss in primary open angle glaucoma and Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy.
Email: isabel.lopez@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Graeme Pollock
Research Fellow
Email : graemeap@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Srujana Sahebjada
Senior Research Fellow, Corneal Research
Dr Srujana Sahebjada is an optometrist and research scientist with a special interest in keratoconus.
Email: sahebjada.s@unimelb.edu.au
CERA Research Groups
Glaucoma Research Laboratory
Research Group Leader - Professor Keith Martin
Ophthalmic Epidemiology Group
Research Group Leader - Professor Mingguang He
Macular Research Unit
Research Group Leader - Professor Robyn Guymer
Cellular Reprogramming Group
Research Group Leader - Dr Raymond Wong
Clinical Trials Research Unit, Centre for Eye Research Australia
Research Group Leader - Professor Lyndell Lim
Cytoprotection Pharmacology Research
Research Group Leader - Professor Greg Dusting
Ocular Biomarkers, Bioenergetics and Angiognesis Research Group
Research Group Leader - Dr Peter van Wijngaarden
University of Melbourne Research Groups
Neuroregeneration
Research Group Leader - Professor Alice Pébay
Ocular Genetics
Research Group Leader - Professor Paul N Baird
Facilities
Laboratories: PC1 and PC2 accredited laboratory spaces
Australia’s only automated platform for generating stem cell lines
Stem cell robot and staff
Contact Us
Executive Assistant to Professor Keith Martin
Fiona Allen
Ph: +61 3 9929 8429
Email: fiona.allen@unimelb.edu.au
General Enquiries
PH: +61 3 9929 8360
Email: cera-education@unimelb.edu.au
Location
Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital
Level 7, Peter Howson Wing
32 Gisborne St
East Melbourne 3002