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

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