Project summaries and impact reports of the past recipients awarded by the Retina Australia Grants Program can be found here.
Improving real-world mobility and assessing long-term safety outcomes with a retinal prosthesis (“Bionic Eye”)
Associate Professor Penelope Allen - Centre for Eye Research Australia, Melbourne
$39,862 (2022)
RNA base editing strategies as potential therapeutic of inherited retinal dystrophies
Associate Professor Guei-Sheung (Rick) Liu - Centre for Eye Research Australia, Melbourne
$40,000 (2022)
Neuroprotective effect of SAHA in Retinitis Pigmentosa. Do time and frequency matter?
Dr Rabab Rashwan - Lions Eye Institute, Perth
$40,000 (2022)

Improving Sensory Substitution Low Vision Devices Through Novel Software Adaptations
Associate Professor Lauren Ayton - University of Melbourne
$40,643 (2021)
Looking for disease causing mutations in families with dominant RP pedigrees
Associate Professor Fred K Chen - Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, The University of Western Australia
$40,000 (2021)
Strong, fast, then none: development of novel promoters for gene-editing therapies
Professor Alex Hewitt - Menzies Institute for Medical Research, Tasmania
$38,000 (2021)
Potential Participant Perspectives in Ocular Gene Therapy in Australia
Associate Professor Heather Mack AM - Centre for Eye Research Australia/University of Melbourne
$20,000 (2021)
Provision of genetic research reports to research participants via their nominated ophthalmologists or clinical geneticists
Jennifer Thompson - Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
$20,000 (2021)
Single cell RNA sequencing to characterise cell diversity and molecular signatures of hiPSC-derived retinal organoids
Dr Anai Gonzalez-Cordero - Children’s Medical Research Institute, Sydney
$39,490 (2020)
Provision of genetic research reports to Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Registry participants via their nominated ophthalmologist or clinical geneticist
Jennifer Thompson - The Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Registry & DNA Bank, Perth
$40,000 (2020)
Development of regenerative therapy for retinitis pigmentosa using cellular reprogramming
Raymond Wong - Centre for Eye Research Australia, University of Melbourne
$40,000 (2020)
Dual AAV retinal gene therapy approach for Usher 1F treatment
Dr Livia S Carvalho - Lions Eye Institute, Perth
$40,000 (2019)
Improving the global acceptance of retinal prostheses: Assessing the influence of different stages of retinal degeneration on selective activation of retinal ganglion cells
Scientia Professor Nigel Lovell - University of New South Wales, Sydney
$39,900 (2019)
Define the mechanism by which C1 rescues some functions in Best Disease RPE
Associate Professor Michael O’Connor - Western Sydney University, Sydney
$40,000 (2019)
Report to Retina Australia on research carried out by the Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Registry and DNA Bank for the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019
Dr John De Roach - Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Registry and DNA Bank, Perth
$100,000 (2018)
Utilising patient-specific retinal organoids in vitro to investigate the effects of an SNRNP200 mutation causing early onset Retinitis Pigmentosa
Dr Carla Mellough - Lions Eye Institute, Perth
$40,000 (2018)
Microglia and retinal degenerations: Identifying key modulators of inflammation as therapeutic targets
Associate Professor Riccardo Natoli - Australian National University, Canberra
$39,951 (2018)
Large scale generation of retinal pigment epithelium cells from patient induced pluripotent stem cells
Associate Professor Alice Pebay - Centre for Eye Research Australia, Melbourne
$40,000 (2017)
Cone photoreceptor development and cell death mechanisms
Dr Livia S Carvalho - Lions Eye Institute/University of Western Australia, Perth
$40,000 (2016)
Australian Inherited Retinal Diseases Register and DNA Bank
Dr Tina Lamey - Australian Inherited Retinal Diseases Register and DNA Bank, Perth
$110,000 (2016)