Retina Australia was delighted to host a webinar following the Retina Australia 2025 Annual General Meeting.
- First, we heard from the newly announced Retina Australia Hall of Fame awardee, Professor Michael Kalloniatis who spoke about “Retinal remodelling in inherited retinal dystrophies: what we have learned over the past 30 years”.
- Next our newly awarded Emerging Scientist Awardee, Dr Senu Gocuk, presented on “The Hidden Experience of Women Living with Inherited Blindness”.
- Finally, we welcomed Genetic Counsellor, Parker Truong who provided an understanding of “Navigating Genetic Counselling and Testing for Inherited Eye Conditions”.
You can watch a recording of the webinar below.
Retinal remodelling in inherited retinal dystrophies: what we have learned over the past 30 years
Presenter: Professor Michael Kalloniatis
2025 Retina Australia Hall of Fame Awardee, Professor Michael Kalloniatis spoke about his research over the past 30 years, with a focus on the remodelling of the retina in inherited retinal dystrophies.
He is a professor in the College of Optometry, University of Houston and holds an Adjunct Professorship at UNSW and is an Affiliate Professor at Deakin University continuing his clinical teaching to optometry students and his research activities.
The Hidden Experience of Women Living with Inherited Blindness
Presenter: Dr Senu Gocuk
2025 Retina Australia Emerging Scientist Awardee, Dr Sena Gocuk, presented on her research which focuses on female carriers of x-linked retinal diseases.
Dr Sena Gocuk is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) and The University of Melbourne. She is a part of the Retinal Gene Therapy Unit at CERA and the Vision Optimisation Unit in the Department of Optometry of Vision Sciences. Her research focuses on clinical and epigenetic mechanisms of inherited retinal diseases (IRDs).
Navigating Genetic Counselling and Testing for Inherited Eye Conditions
Presenter: Genetic Counsellor, Parker Truong
I work with people and families affected by inherited retinal disease, helping them understand their genetic information and what it could mean for their health and future. A big part of my role is supporting people to make informed decisions about genetic testing. I see patients in the genetics clinic at the Royal Melbourne Hospital, and I’m also involved in research at the University of Melbourne and the Centre for Eye Research Australia. Alongside this, I work in cancer genetics at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre.
Past Webinars
October 2024
Cell therapy, genetic research and a patient’s perspective
May 2024
Research Update Event – Geographic atrophy and AMD
October 2023
Vision Loss Priority Setting Partnership and an Introduction to Stem Cell & Gene Therapies