10 Years of Research

Since 2011 the Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA) Research Grants Program has awarded Research Grants and Fellowships to the following recipients. The grants support leading researchers in macular disease as well as mid and early career researchers.

10 years of impact through research

In 2021, to celebrate 10 years of commitment to macular disease research, we released a special publication showcasing the talented researchers who have been supported by the Research Grants Program. Profiling the researchers and their work, the publication shows the impact of our generous donors who make the Research Grants Program possible.

To mark the 10^th anniversary of our Research Grants Program in May 2021, MDFA released this publication, showcasing the impact of MDFA’s commitment to research.

Over the past decade, MDFA has become Australia’s largest non-government source of funding for macular disease research.

Since 2011, with the help of our generous donor community, we have supported 18 Australian researchers and 21 cutting-edge projects with $4.1 million in funding. In 2021, MDFA committed an additional $1 million in funding.

This 28-page report profiles each of these talented researchers. It outlines why MDFA funded their project and how they have contributed to the macular disease knowledge bank both here in Australia and around the world.

• In the lab: Prof Erica Fletcher, Prof Damien Harkin, Dr Audra Shadforth, Prof Alice Pébay, A/Prof Wilson Heriot, Prof Steven Krilis
• Detecting disease: Prof Robyn Guymer, A/Prof Chi Luu, Dr Zhichao Wu, A/Prof Gerald Liew
• Improving care: A/Prof Laura Downie, A/Prof Isabelle Jalbert
• Reducing the risk: Prof Mark Gillies, Prof Paul Mitchell, Prof Bamini Gopinath, Dr Liubov Robman
• Lab to clinic: A/Prof Fred Chen
• Indigenous health: Prof Alex Brown

MDFA’s Research Grants Program funds projects that aim to reduce the incidence and impact of macular disease. Of course, our ultimate goal is to one day find cures for all types of macular disease.

We have supported projects designed to improve our ability to predict who will develop macular disease, detect the signs of disease early, reduce the risk of progression, and provide better care to patients.

MDFA-funded researchers have focused on age-related macular degeneration (AMD) – both dry and wet. Other projects have focused on diabetic eye disease and inherited retinal conditions. Read more about the research that MDFA has funded over the past decade in this publication, which is free and available to view online or download.