Share our vision: Annual Review 2024
This year’s Annual Review ‘Share our vision’ recognises the collective effort behind CERA’s sight-saving research – the scientists, supporters, research partners, funders and people with vision loss, who all play in role in helping us develop new ways to detect and treat eye diseases, prevent blindness and restore sight.
In this year’s message to supporters, new Board Chair Duncan Peppercorn and Managing Director Professor Keith Martin highlight the partnerships CERA is forging to drive our research forward.
“In 2024, we unveiled vital new infrastructure – state-of-the-art discovery research laboratories and a new clinical trials centre – which will provide a hub for national and global vision research collaborations.
“We also put the finishing touches to our new 2025–2030 strategy, Impact through innovation, which puts partnerships at the heart of everything we do.
“On World Clinical Trials Day, Victoria’s Deputy Premier the Hon Ben Carroll launched CERA’s new clinical trials centre, Cerulea Clinical Trials. Cerulea, supported by a $10 million investment from Breakthrough Victoria, will deliver trials to 2500 Victorians annually over the next decade. It will collaborate with global pharmaceutical and medtech companies – and provide a location for Australian inventors to trial their discoveries.
“CERA is also proud to be part of research resulting from a partnership between the University of Melbourne and global genomics company Illumina. The Advanced Genomics Collaboration is using cutting-edge DNA sequencing technology to pinpoint the genetic causes of unexplained inherited retinal diseases.
“Consumers are also playing an increasing role in our research through our new ConsumerAdvisory Group. We are grateful to our inaugural members Jane Cherry, Dr Ronelle Hutchinson, Dr Colleen Lewis, Daniel Talko, Chris Edwards and committee chair, CERA Board director Simon Brewin.”
Our research impact
We’re incredibly proud of our research achievements this year, which include:
- 101 active clinical research studies involving 4366 participants
- 212 research publications
- CERA’s spin-out company Mirugen receiving a $1.92 million grant from the Federal Government’s CUREator+ program to develop a gene therapy to restore damaged photoreceptors
- The conclusion of the five-year Synergy High Risk AMD Study, which has transformed the way we understand macular degeneration
- Groundbreaking research on female carriers of inherited retinal diseases being supported by philanthropic funding for three years
- The Melbourne-designed VividFlo glaucoma implant reaching clinical trial stage.
You can read the full Chair and Managing Director’s message and more about our research in Share our vision: Annual Review 2024 (PDF), reading individual stories via the links below, or access an audio version (MP3).
