Professor Lauren Ayton AM is a member of CERA’s Executive team and co-leads the Retinal Gene Therapy Unit and VENTURE inherited retinal diseases (IRD) registry with Dr Tom Edwards.

She is also the Head of the Vision Optimisation Unit at the University of Melbourne.

Her research interests are IRD, low vision, and interventions to assist people with IRD, including gene therapy.

Professor Ayton has previously held senior roles in bionic eye projects in both Australia (at CERA) and in the USA (Harvard/Cornell Universities). She has experience working in industry, as a Director of Clinical and Regulatory Affairs, and is currently the interim Associate Dean of Innovation and Enterprise for the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences at the University of Melbourne.

Professor Ayton and Dr Edwards’ team are working to provide people with IRDs opportunities to be involved in research at all stages, from natural history studies, online surveys and questionnaires, or clinical treatment trials.

She is an investigator at Cerulea Clinical Trials and has been involved in 11 industry IRD clinical trials to date.