Science and Research
VENTURE Study
Our objective is to understand the natural progression of inherited retinal diseases and identify people who may be eligible for upcoming clinical trials.
Overview
Why this research is important
Inherited Retinal Diseases (IRD) are the most common cause of blindness among working-age Australians.
Less than a decade ago IRDs were considered to be untreatable.
However, in recent years, advances in genomic research have enabled more people to find out what is causing their vision loss. And rapid advances in gene therapy research and other innovative therapies are providing hope that new treatments will become available to stall vision loss and restore sight.
Understanding how these diseases progress will help identify people who might be suitable for new, emerging treatments, and measure the success of future clinical trials.
Key research questions
- Can we track the progression of people with an inherited retinal disease and identify biomarkers to be used in future clinical trials?
- Can we recruit for investigator-initiated research studies, including longitudinal
natural history studies and genotype/phenotype studies? - Can we identify people who may be eligible for upcoming industry-sponsored clinical trials?
VENTURE team
- Dr Ceecee Britten-Jones – Postdoctoral Fellow
- Ms Sachinee Jayasuriya – VENTURE Manager
- Mr Parker Truong – Data Coordinator
- Dr Mina You – Research Optometrist
- Ms Rachele Stin – Research Orthoptist
- Mr Joshua Schultz – Genetic Counsellor
- Ms Rebecca Purvis – Genetic Counsellor