2015 Annual Report
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Annual Report 2015 prevent & cure blindness & eye disease ontents Contents Contact Information Lions Eye Institute 2 Verdun Street Nedlands WA 6009 Phone +61 8 9381 0777 Fax +61 8 9381 0700 Email [email protected] ABN 48 106 521 439 Media Contact A digital version of this report is Francesca Robb available on our website: Mobile 0409 102 556 [email protected] www.lei.org.au C2 Lions Eye Institute Annual Report 2015 ontents 4 Vision & Mission 55 ProfilePhilomena Grant 6 Profile Ray Watson 56 ProfileKaren McLachlan 7 Chairman & Managing 57 Clinicians Profiles Director’s Report 63 ProfileAdam Gajdatsy 10 Board of Directors 64 Lions Laser Vision 13 Scientific Advisory Committee 66 Lions Eye Bank 14 Genetics & Population Health 68 ProfileEnid Gelden 19 Profile Seyhan Yazar 69 Clinic Design 20 Immunology 71 Collaborators & Visitors 23 Molecular Ophthalmology 74 Myopia Rates in the Spotlight 25 Profile June Walker 75 Conferences & Invited Lectures 26 Physiology & Pharmacology 79 Ian Constable Lecture 29 ProfileDr Paula Yu 80 Open Day 30 Ocular Tissue Engineering Laboratory 81 ProfileMark & Natasha’s Ride 33 Miocevich Fellowship 82 Acknowledgements 34 Lions Outback Vision 84 Lions Save-Sight Foundation 35 ProfileStephen Copeland 86 Volunteers 37 ProfileVeronica Harvey 87 ProfileRobin Miller 38 Clinical Trials 88 Grants 41 Profile Cora Pierce 90 Financial Statements 42 Publications 92 Visionaries Luncheon 51 Clinical Services Report 94 Acronyms Used in this Report C Lions Eye Institute Annual Report 2015 3 Vision & Mission Vision To prevent and cure blindness and eye disease 4 Lions Eye Institute Annual Report 2015 Mission To achieve leadership in scientific research and clinical practice in the prevention of blindness and eye disease through: • global leadership in scientific research • translation of research into community outcomes • a commitment to growing the reach of our research capabilities and clinical services • development and training of outstanding eye care professionals and researchers • community engagement and education to build awareness, maintain a high reputation and increase funding Lions Eye Institute Annual Report 2015 5 Profile Ray Watson Treament putsRay back in the driver’s seat Ray Watson risked at Royal Perth Hospital, where he to continue with my workshop and losing not only his was sent to the eye clinic. would have to rely on a pension. livelihood but his passion A referral was made to Dr Fred “All of my work is very hands-on when his eyesight Chen at the LEI, who diagnosed the and requires very good eyesight to began deteriorating wet form of age-related macular ensure the quality of the finished dramatically in 2014. degeneration. product.” He spent his working life as a “After some consultation and While the treatment was unpleasant, mechanic and design engineer, and discussion, he asked me to come Ray said the progress with his sight in semi-retirement had set up a on his clinical trial into treatment of had been fantastic. one-man business restoring classic AMD,” Ray said. Sports and GT cars. He is able to drive confidently at “He explained the injection into night again and has returned to the “In 2014, my health began to the eye and all of the procedures intricate work on the classic cars he deteriorate and the most dramatic involved, saying he felt there was loves so much. effect was on my eyes,” he said. a very definite chance of reversing the problem with my left eye, and “Within a few months my left eye returning a good percentage of my was so bad that I could not focus sight in the left eye. at all.” “To me this was a very reassuring ABOVE Unable to get a doctor’s appointment thing as the problem - if it got any Ray Watson immediately, Ray went to emergency worse - meant I would not be able 6 Lions Eye Institute Annual Report 2015 Chairman & Managing Director’s Report Chairman &Managing Director’s Report C7 Chairman & Managing Director’s Report through The University of Western LEI researchers were also part of two Australia and the LEI. major international genetics studies that identified new genes involved in In late 2015 a campaign was started aged-related macular degeneration to fund, in perpetuity, this professorial and glaucoma – the two leading chair, a post-doctoral fellowship and a causes of blindness in Australia. The continuous PhD scholarship program. findings were published in Nature Genetics. The AFPB (WA) started the campaign with a generous donation, and Dr The Genetics and Epidemiology Group Sjakon Tahija of Jakarta, Indonesia continued its research work into the Stephen Pearce has accepted the role of International Asian myopia epidemic, the Western Ambassador for the ongoing Australian Eye Protection Study, the campaign. Kidskin Eye Health Study and WA Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Eye Health This exciting new chair in research Study. will boost the scientific capabilities of the LEl and promote new scientific The Ocular Tissue and Engineering developments of international group continued to investigate importance to eye care. the causes of - and develop new treatments for – age-related macular During the year, one of the world’s degeneration and inherited retinal most prominent medical journals, diseases. The Lancet, reported on the one-year follow-up of the human gene therapy The Division of Immunology is working Professor David A Mackey research for wet age-related macular on a number of research projects degeneration. focused on understanding how common viral infection affects vision. 2015 once again The Lancet publication was the first highlighted the in the LEI’s history and underscores During 2015 many advances commitment of our the significance of this research: have been made by the group on conceived, executed and written by establishing new in vivo models that people, with Lions Eye our Molecular Ophthalmology group. closely mimic the natural history of Institute staff delivering human eye infections. excellence in research, The Physiology and Pharmacology clinical services, group achieved a major translational It was a landmark year for Lions teaching and training. achievement with a new treatment for Outback Vision (LOV), which secured glaucoma. $5.1 million to build a new mobile We continue to strive to achieve our health clinic. Once on the road in vision to prevent and cure blindness The start-up company 2016, the LOV Van will travel more and eye disease. 2015 was a year commercialising the technology was than 24,000km each year offering in which we moved a step closer to purchased by the multi-national comprehensive optometry and realising our goal. pharmaceutical company Allergan, ophthalmology care for up to 200 ensuring the world-wide marketing of patients each week in remote and To celebrate the outstanding this technology. regional locations around the State. contribution to ophthalmic science and clinical practice by Professor Ian Clinical trials are already With the commissioning of the van, Constable for more than 40 years, the demonstrating significant advantages LOV continues a long and proud Australian Foundation for Prevention of the procedure compared to tradition of providing ophthalmic of Blindness, Western Australia AFPB conventional surgery and it is very services in regional and remote (WA) has decided to establish The likely that the advanced technology Western Australia that began with the Ian Constable Chair in Discovery and developed at the LEI will be used first mass glaucoma screenings in the Translational Ophthalmic Science worldwide. 1960s. 8 Lions Eye Institute Annual Report 2015 Chairman & Managing Director’s Report LEI’s Clinical Services continued to throwing light on our understanding of collaboratively with the business grow significantly in 2015, with a new the cell and disease mechanisms. sector in research, social innovation record of just under 60,000 patients and philanthropy. treated throughout the year. Significant LEI researchers were delighted to planning toward the expansion and spend time with Professor Blackburn She has a passion for strengthening relocation of clinical services was and were inspired by her enthusiasm links between the public sector and completed with construction beginning and generosity. business community and will be an in 2016. This work will ensure the LEI exciting addition to our suite of skills can continue to meet patient demand On a much sadder note, our long-time and experience at Board level. as it grows over the years to come. Patron Sir James Cruthers passed away in October after a long illness. Over the course of 2015, the The LEI has generated a financial Sir James played a central role in the LEI continued to implement the surplus for 2015 of $4.5 million original fundraising campaign to build organisational goals identified in on revenue of $18.3 million. Key a stand-alone facility for the LEI. a strategic review of operations. contributors to this result were $1.9 These are focused on growing and million in donations which will be used Sir James and his wife Lady Sheila improving our research capabilities, to endow the Professorial Chair at were long-term, passionate supporters clinical services, teaching and training, UWA, and an increase of $2.4 million who contributed enormously to the community engagement and financial in the market value of shares that LEI’s reputation and we remember sustainability – none of which can the LEI owns in a US gene therapy them for their many years of dedicated be achieved without the passion and company. While these are shown as service. commitment of our people. part of our surplus they are one-off in nature, and we are pleased that the At a Board level, the activities of the We thank all staff for your LEI’s underlying operations broke even LEI were again expertly assisted by a dedication to achieving our vision financially despite the inevitable cost mix of highly skilled professionals.