Surgery in Ophthalmology
Our Academic Lead
Professor Keith Martin is Ringland Anderson Professor and Managing Director of the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), Head of Ophthalmology at the University of Melbourne, Chair of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences (Victoria) and a Fellow of the Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Until January 2019, he was Professor and Head of Ophthalmology at the University of Cambridge, and Deputy Director of the University’s John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair. He was also Clinical Director for Ophthalmology at Cambridge University Hospital.
Professor Martin is working to develop new treatments for eye disease using gene therapy and other techniques. His other main research interest is in regeneration and repair of the optic nerve.
Professor Martin is co-founder of three retinal gene therapy companies:
- Quethera, a Cambridge-based gene therapy company which developed a gene therapy for glaucoma that is currently being tested in a large Phase 1-2 Clinical Trial in the US.
- Ikarovec, a second gene therapy spin out company from his Cambridge lab developing gene therapies for common retinal diseases; and
- Mirugen, developing cell reprogramming technology for inherited retinal diseases.
He is also a founding Director of Enlighten Imaging, developing hyperspectral imaging technology for the diagnosis of retinal and neurological diseases.
Professor Martin is Chair of Cerulea Clinical Trials, a new state-of-the-art ophthalmic clinical trials centre which is now one of the largest such facilities in the world. Additionally, he is also Chief Medical Officer of CERA’s latest start up company, Adara Bio, which has developed cutting edge new gene editing technology for inherited retinal disease.
Clinically, Professor Martin specialises in the medical and surgical management of complex glaucoma. He was President of the World Glaucoma Association from 2018-20, and is a Past President of the UK and Ireland Glaucoma Society and the Australia and New Zealand Glaucoma Society.
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 FAHMS MA BM BCh DM MRCP FRCOphth, FRANZCO FARVO FAAPPO ALCM
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 MBBS, PhD, FRANZCO, FAHMS
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
A/Prof Luis Alarcon-Martinez BSC, MSc, PhD
Research Lead, Visual Neurovascular Research
Associate Professor Luis Alarcon-Martinez is Principal Investigator at CERA and Head of
Visual Neurovascular Research. His research focuses on how vascular dysfunction may contribute to neurodegenerative disorders and vision loss.
Associate Professor Alarcon-Martinez has spent over a decade working in visual sciences and neuroscience in Europe, Canada, and the US. He has developed sophisticated technical skills, including innovative imaging set-ups and microsurgical skills to study retinal diseases such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration,
Email: luis.alarconmartinez@unimelb.edu.au
Dr Carla Abbott BOptom, PhD, PGDOcTher, FACO
Senior Research Fellow, Macular Research
Associate Professor 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
Associate Professor Zhichao Wu
Head of Clinical Biomarkers Research
Associate Professor Zhichao Wu is a clinician-scientist and leads CERA’s clinical biomarkers research. His work focuses on expediting the discovery of new treatments and ways to prevent irreversible vision loss from conditions such as age-related macular degeneration and glaucoma.
Associate Professor Lyndell Lim MBBS, DMedSci, FRANZCO
Head of Uveitis and Retinal Vascular Disease Research.
A Uveitis and Medical Retina Subspecialist, Professor Lim leads research in the fields of ocular inflammatory disease and diabetic retinopathy and is Chief Medical Officer of Cerulea Clinical Trials.
Email:lyndell.lim@unimelb.edu.au
Professor Raymond Wong
B.Biomed Sci (Hons), PhD
Head, Cellular Reprogramming
Professor Wong currently leads the Cellular Reprogramming Group at Centre for Eye Research Australia, and is a Senior Research Fellow with the University of Melbourne. He is founder the spin-out company Mirugen which is developing a cell therapy to treat inherited retinal disease.
Email: ching.wong@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
Louise Robertson
Ph: +61 3 9929 8429
Email: louise.robertson@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