Careers and study
Student opportunities
Explore research projects currently open for expressions of interest from Masters, Doctorate or PhD students.
AI for diabetes care
AI-powered retinal imaging and large language model for diabetes care
Supervisor: Associate Professor Lisa Zhuoting Zhu
Email: lisa.zhu@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD, Masters, MD, MBBS, Honours
Diabetes is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. This project aims to leverage AI-driven retinal imaging to enable early detection and risk stratification of diabetes-related complications, as well as large language model to enable personalised diabetes care, improving patient outcomes through precision medicine approaches.
AI-powered retinal imaging and large language model for diabetes care
Supervisor: Associate Professor Lisa Zhuoting Zhu
Email: lisa.zhu@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD, Masters, MD, MBBS, Honours
Diabetes is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. This project aims to leverage AI-driven retinal imaging to enable early detection and risk stratification of diabetes-related complications, as well as large language model to enable personalised diabetes care, improving patient outcomes through precision medicine approaches.
AI-driven oculomics
AI-driven oculomics to study system disease
Supervisor: Dr Lisa Zhuoting Zhu
Email: lisa.zhu@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD, Masters, MD, MBBS, Honours
The retina serves as a window to systemic health (oculomics), providing valuable insights into vascular and neurological conditions. This project aims to leverage AI-driven oculomics to study multi-system diseases, particularly targeting early detection.
AI-driven oculomics to study system disease
Supervisor: Dr Lisa Zhuoting Zhu
Email: lisa.zhu@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD, Masters, MD, MBBS, Honours
The retina serves as a window to systemic health (oculomics), providing valuable insights into vascular and neurological conditions. This project aims to leverage AI-driven oculomics to study multi-system diseases, particularly targeting early detection.
AI-powered smart camera to screen for life-threatening headaches
AI-powered smart camera screen “red flag” for life-threatening headache at the point-of-care in emergency department
Supervisor: Associate Professor Lisa Zhuoting Zhu
Email: lisa.zhu@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD, Masters, MD, MBBS, Honours
In the emergency department (ED), headache is the fourth most common chief complaint. This project intends to pilot a Smart Camera in real-world ED settings to screen for papilledema.
AI-powered smart camera screen “red flag” for life-threatening headache at the point-of-care in emergency department
Supervisor: Associate Professor Lisa Zhuoting Zhu
Email: lisa.zhu@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD, Masters, MD, MBBS, Honours
In the emergency department (ED), headache is the fourth most common chief complaint. This project intends to pilot a Smart Camera in real-world ED settings to screen for papilledema.
Anti-scarring eye drop for EB
Development of an anti-scarring eye drop for Epidermolysis Bullosa
Supervisor: Dr Gink Yang
Email: gyang@cera.org.au
Suitable for: PhD
Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is an inherited blistering disease of the skin and mucous membranes, including the cornea. This program aims to understand the molecular mechanism underpinning EB-induced corneal scarring and develop an anti-scarring eye drop.
Development of an anti-scarring eye drop for Epidermolysis Bullosa
Supervisor: Dr Gink Yang
Email: gyang@cera.org.au
Suitable for: PhD
Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is an inherited blistering disease of the skin and mucous membranes, including the cornea. This program aims to understand the molecular mechanism underpinning EB-induced corneal scarring and develop an anti-scarring eye drop.
Cell reprogramming to regenerate retina
Development of regenerative therapy for retina using cellular reprogramming technology
Supervisor: Dr Raymond Wong
Email: wongcb@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD or Masters
Retinal degeneration causes vision loss in millions of patients, but cellular reprogramming shows promise in slowing or even reversing the condition. This project aims to develop cell reprogramming technology to generate new retinal neurons and provide a novel regenerative therapy approach to treat retinal degeneration.
Development of regenerative therapy for retina using cellular reprogramming technology
Supervisor: Dr Raymond Wong
Email: wongcb@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD or Masters
Retinal degeneration causes vision loss in millions of patients, but cellular reprogramming shows promise in slowing or even reversing the condition. This project aims to develop cell reprogramming technology to generate new retinal neurons and provide a novel regenerative therapy approach to treat retinal degeneration.
Correction of disease-related point mutation to restore vision
Developing RNA base editing for treatment of inherited retinal diseases
Supervisor: Associate Professor Guei-Sheung Liu
Email: gsliu@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
The aim of the project is to develop a generalisable gene therapy for IRDs through a new gene editing tool – RNA base editing.
Developing RNA base editing for treatment of inherited retinal diseases
Supervisor: Associate Professor Guei-Sheung Liu
Email: gsliu@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
The aim of the project is to develop a generalisable gene therapy for IRDs through a new gene editing tool – RNA base editing.
Deciphering inherited retinal diseases
Deciphering inherited retinal diseases
Supervisor: A/Prof Lauren Ayton, Dr Tom Edwards, Dr Ceecee Britten-Jones
Email: layton@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: MSc, PhD
This project aims to learn about retinal structure and function in different inherited retinal diseases and their natural progression.
Deciphering inherited retinal diseases
Supervisor: A/Prof Lauren Ayton, Dr Tom Edwards, Dr Ceecee Britten-Jones
Email: layton@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: MSc, PhD
This project aims to learn about retinal structure and function in different inherited retinal diseases and their natural progression.
Early stages of age-related macular degeneration
Improving prediction of disease progression
Supervisors: Associate Professor Zhichao Wu and Professor Robyn Guymer AM
Email: wu.z@unimelb.edu.au; rh.guymer@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
A major impediment to the discovery of preventative interventions in the early stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the need for large and lengthy clinical trials to assess their efficacy. To pave the way for therapeutic innovation, this project aims to identify better imaging biomarkers that can identify high-risk individuals to target for preventative treatments.
Improving prediction of disease progression
Supervisors: Associate Professor Zhichao Wu and Professor Robyn Guymer AM
Email: wu.z@unimelb.edu.au; rh.guymer@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
A major impediment to the discovery of preventative interventions in the early stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the need for large and lengthy clinical trials to assess their efficacy. To pave the way for therapeutic innovation, this project aims to identify better imaging biomarkers that can identify high-risk individuals to target for preventative treatments.
Exosomes as drug delivery tool for retinal degeneration to stop blindness
Supervisors: Dr Tom Edwards and Dr Sushma Anand
Email: tedwards@cera.org.au and sanand@cera.org.au
Suitable for: PhD
Retinal diseases are a leading cause of blindness, affecting millions of Australians and significantly diminishing quality of life. Despite the severity of these conditions, effective treatments remain limited. This PhD project seeks to transform retinal disease treatment by harnessing exosomes—naturally occurring extracellular vesicles—as precise drug delivery tools to restore vision and prevent blindness.
Supervisors: Dr Tom Edwards and Dr Sushma Anand
Email: tedwards@cera.org.au and sanand@cera.org.au
Suitable for: PhD
Retinal diseases are a leading cause of blindness, affecting millions of Australians and significantly diminishing quality of life. Despite the severity of these conditions, effective treatments remain limited. This PhD project seeks to transform retinal disease treatment by harnessing exosomes—naturally occurring extracellular vesicles—as precise drug delivery tools to restore vision and prevent blindness.
Geographic atrophy in age-related macular degeneration
Providing insights into who we should treat
Supervisors: Associate Professor Zhichao Wu and Professor Robyn Guymer AM
Email: wu.z@unimelb.edu.au; rh.guymer@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
In 2025, the first treatment was approved for geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and it ushered us into a new era where slowing irreversible vision loss is now possible. However, treatments are not without risks, and so this project seeks to better establish how anatomical changes relate to patient-relevant outcomes, and thus provide critical insights into the expected benefits of new treatments.
Providing insights into who we should treat
Supervisors: Associate Professor Zhichao Wu and Professor Robyn Guymer AM
Email: wu.z@unimelb.edu.au; rh.guymer@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
In 2025, the first treatment was approved for geographic atrophy (GA) secondary to age-related macular degeneration (AMD), and it ushered us into a new era where slowing irreversible vision loss is now possible. However, treatments are not without risks, and so this project seeks to better establish how anatomical changes relate to patient-relevant outcomes, and thus provide critical insights into the expected benefits of new treatments.
Glaucoma progression
Transforming the detection and prediction of progression
Supervisor: Associate Professor Zhichao Wu
Email: wu.z@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
One in three people with glaucoma, a progressive optic neuropathy, become blind in at least one eye within 20 years of diagnosis. A key contributor to this is our difficulty in being able to predict who is at the greatest risk of vision loss, and in detecting disease progression within a short timeframe. Therefore, better tools to address these challenges are urgently needed to help us prevent irreversible vision loss in glaucoma.
Transforming the detection and prediction of progression
Supervisor: Associate Professor Zhichao Wu
Email: wu.z@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
One in three people with glaucoma, a progressive optic neuropathy, become blind in at least one eye within 20 years of diagnosis. A key contributor to this is our difficulty in being able to predict who is at the greatest risk of vision loss, and in detecting disease progression within a short timeframe. Therefore, better tools to address these challenges are urgently needed to help us prevent irreversible vision loss in glaucoma.
Glaucomatous visual field damage
Enabling earlier and more accurate detection
Supervisor: Associate Professor Zhichao Wu
Email: wu.z@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy characterised by the progressive loss of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). However, up to 50 per cent of the RGCs need to be lost by the time abnormalities can be detected on a standard visual field test. This represents a significant missed opportunity for early detection and prevention of irreversible vision loss.
Enabling earlier and more accurate detection
Supervisor: Associate Professor Zhichao Wu
Email: wu.z@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
Glaucoma is a progressive optic neuropathy characterised by the progressive loss of the retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). However, up to 50 per cent of the RGCs need to be lost by the time abnormalities can be detected on a standard visual field test. This represents a significant missed opportunity for early detection and prevention of irreversible vision loss.
An on-demand gene therapy for neovascular blindness to avoid frequent eye injections
An on-demand gene therapy for neovascular blindness to avoid frequent eye injections
Supervisor: Associate Professor Guei-Sheung Liu
Email: gsliu@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
We aim to advance gene therapy so that it can be delivered by eye drops to provide a safer and less invasive alternative to conventional drug injections.
An on-demand gene therapy for neovascular blindness to avoid frequent eye injections
Supervisor: Associate Professor Guei-Sheung Liu
Email: gsliu@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
We aim to advance gene therapy so that it can be delivered by eye drops to provide a safer and less invasive alternative to conventional drug injections.
IPTNTs, a new therapeutic target for glaucoma
Interpericyte tunneling nanotubes (IPTNTs) function and how to preserve IPTNT health in glaucoma
Supervisor: Dr Luis Alarcon-Martinez
Email: luis.alarconmartinez@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
Strategies to restore normal IPTNT function reveal new knowledge on preventing retinal ganglion cell loss and vision impairment in glaucoma. Here, we will study IPTNT function and how to preserve IPTNT health in glaucoma.
Interpericyte tunneling nanotubes (IPTNTs) function and how to preserve IPTNT health in glaucoma
Supervisor: Dr Luis Alarcon-Martinez
Email: luis.alarconmartinez@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
Strategies to restore normal IPTNT function reveal new knowledge on preventing retinal ganglion cell loss and vision impairment in glaucoma. Here, we will study IPTNT function and how to preserve IPTNT health in glaucoma.
Neovascular age-related macular degeneration
Imaging Biomarkers of Poor Functional Outcomes
Supervisors: Associate Professor Zhichao Wu and Professor Robyn Guymer AM
Email: wu.z@unimelb.edu.au; rh.guymer@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
A major impediment to the discovery of preventative interventions in the early stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the need for large and lengthy clinical trials to assess their efficacy. This is due to our current inability to identify those at high risk of progression to target for such trials, and the lack of effective disease biomarkers to act as earlier indicators of treatment efficacy. There is therefore an urgent need for such biomarkers to pave the way for therapeutic innovation to prevent irreversible vision loss.
Imaging Biomarkers of Poor Functional Outcomes
Supervisors: Associate Professor Zhichao Wu and Professor Robyn Guymer AM
Email: wu.z@unimelb.edu.au; rh.guymer@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
A major impediment to the discovery of preventative interventions in the early stages of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the need for large and lengthy clinical trials to assess their efficacy. This is due to our current inability to identify those at high risk of progression to target for such trials, and the lack of effective disease biomarkers to act as earlier indicators of treatment efficacy. There is therefore an urgent need for such biomarkers to pave the way for therapeutic innovation to prevent irreversible vision loss.
Next-generation gene therapy
Revolutionising eye disease treatment with next-generation gene therapy
Supervisors: Dr Jiang-Hui (Sloan) Wang, Associate Professor Guei-Sheung Liu and Professor Guangping Gao (UMass Chan).
Email: sloan.wang@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
Scholarship available: Successful applicants will be supported by a generous CERA PhD Stipend Scholarship.
Current retinal gene therapies using adeno-associated viruses require invasive eye injections that risk retinal detachment, limiting treatment effectiveness. A safer, simpler alternative mostly targets the inner retina due to a barrier trapping viruses via heparan sulfate (HS) binding. This project aims to engineer new AAV2 variants that both reduce HS binding and bind photoreceptor-specific proteins, enabling efficient gene delivery to light-sensing cells via safer intravitreal injections.
Learn more about this project
Further information about this project, the CERA PhD Stipend Scholarship and key dates for expressing interest.
Revolutionising eye disease treatment with next-generation gene therapy
Supervisors: Dr Jiang-Hui (Sloan) Wang, Associate Professor Guei-Sheung Liu and Professor Guangping Gao (UMass Chan).
Email: sloan.wang@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
Scholarship available: Successful applicants will be supported by a generous CERA PhD Stipend Scholarship.
Current retinal gene therapies using adeno-associated viruses require invasive eye injections that risk retinal detachment, limiting treatment effectiveness. A safer, simpler alternative mostly targets the inner retina due to a barrier trapping viruses via heparan sulfate (HS) binding. This project aims to engineer new AAV2 variants that both reduce HS binding and bind photoreceptor-specific proteins, enabling efficient gene delivery to light-sensing cells via safer intravitreal injections.
Learn more about this project
Further information about this project, the CERA PhD Stipend Scholarship and key dates for expressing interest.
Retinal satellite imaging
Using satellite technology to image the retina for early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and glaucoma
Supervisors: Associate Professor Peter van Wijngaarden and Dr Xavier Hadoux
Email: peterv@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
We aim to be the first group in the world to bring hyperspectral imaging, based on NASA satellite technology, to the clinic to improve the care of Australians with Alzheimer’s disease, glaucoma and a range of retinal diseases.
Using satellite technology to image the retina for early signs of Alzheimer’s disease and glaucoma
Supervisors: Associate Professor Peter van Wijngaarden and Dr Xavier Hadoux
Email: peterv@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
We aim to be the first group in the world to bring hyperspectral imaging, based on NASA satellite technology, to the clinic to improve the care of Australians with Alzheimer’s disease, glaucoma and a range of retinal diseases.
Retinal vascular autoregulation in AMD
OCT-Angiography study of retinal vascular autoregulation in AMD
Supervisors: Dr. David Sousa and Professor Robyn Guymer AM
Email: david.sousa@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of central vision loss in people over 50 years of age. We will investigate if the retinal vascular autoregulation processes are impaired, and correlate the findings with the various AMD phenotypes.
OCT-Angiography study of retinal vascular autoregulation in AMD
Supervisors: Dr. David Sousa and Professor Robyn Guymer AM
Email: david.sousa@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of central vision loss in people over 50 years of age. We will investigate if the retinal vascular autoregulation processes are impaired, and correlate the findings with the various AMD phenotypes.
Study of AMD genetics
Understanding the genetic factors contributing to age-related macular degeneration
Supervisor: Dr Raymond Wong
Email: wongcb@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: Honours or Masters
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) involves complex genetic factors that require further study. This project aims to use CRISPR/Cas9 technology to better understand the role of AMD-associated genes in human retinal cells, provide new AMD pathogenesis insights and identify potential new drug targets to develop AMD treatments.
Understanding the genetic factors contributing to age-related macular degeneration
Supervisor: Dr Raymond Wong
Email: wongcb@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: Honours or Masters
Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) involves complex genetic factors that require further study. This project aims to use CRISPR/Cas9 technology to better understand the role of AMD-associated genes in human retinal cells, provide new AMD pathogenesis insights and identify potential new drug targets to develop AMD treatments.
Study of IRD genetics
Understanding the genetic basis of inherited retinal diseases
Supervisor: Dr Raymond Wong
Email: ac.brittenjones@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are rare genetic conditions that cause vision loss and blindness, and many of the genetic causes remain unknown. This project aims to identify novel genetic changes responsible for IRDs to better understand how they contribute to disease development.
Understanding the genetic basis of inherited retinal diseases
Supervisor: Dr Raymond Wong
Email: ac.brittenjones@unimelb.edu.au
Suitable for: PhD
Inherited retinal diseases (IRDs) are rare genetic conditions that cause vision loss and blindness, and many of the genetic causes remain unknown. This project aims to identify novel genetic changes responsible for IRDs to better understand how they contribute to disease development.