13 November, 2023
Retina Australia is delighted to announce two new Research Grant recipients for 2024. The new projects will focus on Stargardt disease and Virtual Reality Assessment of Functional Vision in achromatopsia.
Characterising Stargardt Disease Mutations for Splice Intervention Therapeutics
Grant of $60,000 awarded to Chief Investigator – Dr Di Huang, Lions Eye Institute, Perth
This project aims to find a treatment for Stargardt disease (STGD1), an inherited genetic eye condition caused by mutations in the ABCA4 gene.
Stargardt disease affects the macular, resulting in loss of central vision. Common initial symptoms include difficulty reading or recognising faces. Blind spots can occur, and these may increase in size over time. The condition can be slowly degenerative and progressive, and colour vision may be affected in the later stages of disease. There are currently no treatments for Stargardt disease.
Virtual Reality Assessment of Functional Vision in achromatopsia and albinism
Grant of $52,639 awarded to Chief Investigator – Dr Elisa Cornish, Save Sight Institute, Sydney
Achromatopsia is a rare inherited retinal disease which leads to the cone photoreceptors not functioning resulting in poor or no colour vision, as well as low vision. There are currently no treatments for achromatopsia.
This project aims to assess whether a virtual reality (VR) mobility and environmental background lighting assessment tool can pick up changes in functional vision and light sensitivity in patients with achromatopsia to be used for measuring clinical trial success of new developing treatments.
Congratulations to our successful researchers and their teams. We look forward to hearing about the impacts that these projects have in the search for future treatments for inherited retinal disease.
Characterising Stargardt Disease Mutations for Splice Intervention Therapeutic
Grant awarded – $60,000
Chief Investigator (pictured): Dr Di Huang, Lions Eye Institute, Perth
Virtual Reality Assessment of Functional Vision in Achromatopsia and Albinism
Grant awarded – $52,639
Chief Investigator (pictured): Dr Elisa Cornish, Save Sight Institute, Sydney
