What we do
Research
Retina Australia funds and facilitates the top medical research into inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) through a competitive annual Research Grants Program.
- Research we fund
- Impact reports of past research grants
- Strategy and governance of our Research Grants Program
- Apply for a grant
Information
We provide information about:
- Inherited retinal disease (IRD)
- Different types of inherited retinal diseases
- Other retinal dystrophies – AMD and GA
- Anatomy of the eye
- Inheritance patterns
- Genetic testing
- Participating in clinical trials
- An IRD Research Project and Clinical Trial Register
- Latest updates on emerging treatments
- From Lab to Life 1 – The Path to New Medicines – Treatment Discovery to Patient Access
- From Lab to Life 2 – How patients can help advance treatment discovery and have their say in the medicine approval processes
- Frequently asked questions
Support
Retina Australia also offers support via:
- Providing Guides for:
- The newly diagnosed
- Parents of children diagnosed with an inherited retinal disease
- Friends of the newly diagnosed
- Financial assistance supports
- Community Billboard – activities and event calendar
- Reference material in regard to:
- Peer Support Groups
- Phone support and referral guidance
Thanks to our generous donors, we have invested
over $6.5 million
in more than 140 projects
since 1989
Latest Retina Australia news
Australia Approves Second Treatment for Geographic Atrophy
Astellas' IZERVAY® (avacincaptad pegol) has been approved for use in Australia by the TGA Astellas...
New Director joins Retina Australia
Retina Australia directors are pleased to announce that following the Annual General Meeting held 11 October 2025, Norlizzah (Liz) Syed was appointed to the...
Retina Australia Awards 2025
Retina Australia is delighted to announce the two inaugural recipients of the Retina Australia Awards. 2025 Retina Australia Hall of Fame Award Professor Michael Kalloniatis is...
Latest blog posts
Australia Approves Second Treatment for Geographic Atrophy
Astellas' IZERVAY® (avacincaptad pegol) has been approved for use in Australia by the TGA Astellas...
The Economic and Psychosocial Impact of Caring for Families Affected by Visual Impairment (EPIC-Vision) Study
Visual impairment resulting from inherited retinal dystrophy (IRD) has...
World Research Summary by Dr Catherine Civil
Hot Off The Press There are just a couple of articles for you this month, but I hope you find...
World Retina Day 2025
Every year, World Retina Day shines a spotlight on the millions of people living with inherited retinal diseases and other retinal dystrophies. These conditions affect not only vision, but...
Research impact reports
Characterizing Stargardt Disease Mutations for Splice Intervention Therapeutics
Dr Di Huang - Lions Eye Institute
$60,000 (2024, co-funded by the Perth Eye Foundation)
Virtual Reality Assessment of Functional Vision in achromatopsia
Dr Elisa Cornish - Save Sight Institute, Sydney
$52,639 (2024)
Establishing novel AAV gene editing for Usher Syndrome
Dr Anai Gonzalez-Cordero - Children’s Medical Research Institute, Sydney
$55,774 (2023)
Using RNA-silencing to tackle neuroinflammation in retinal degeneration
Dr Adrian Cioanca - John Curtin School of Medical Research, Canberra
$59,869 (2023)
Retina Australia supports innovative research that will bring hope of lifechanging therapies for all Australians affected by an inherited retinal disease.
Leighton Boyd AM
Chair of the Board of Directors