Clinical Trials Research Centre

Transcription

1 Clinical Trials Research Centre Staff Biosketches The Clinical Trials Research Centre within the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) draws upon a significant number of world-renowned Key Opinion Leaders. These physicians lead medical advances through their research, often with more than a decade of clinical trial experience and many publications to their name. A/Prof Lyndell Lim, Principal Investigator and Consultant Ophthalmologist specialising in Medical Retina and Ocular Inflammatory Diseases, leads the team at the Clinical Trials Research Centre. Helen Ormandy PhD, is Head of Clinical Operations for the Centre. Dr Penelope Allen MBBS, FRANZCO Dr Penelope Allen trained at the University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital, and The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. After completing specialist training she undertook a Fellowship in diseases of the retina and vitreous at the RVEEH, followed by another Fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. After her return she was appointed to the Vitreoretinal Unit at RVEEH. Dr Allen is also a lead researcher in the Bionic Eye Clinical Trial, the first trial of its kind in Australia. She led a surgical team to implant the prototype at the RVEEH in Contact: pjallen@unimelb.edu.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 1 of 16

2 Professor Paul Baird BSc Hons, PhD Head, Ocular Genetics Professor Paul Baird is a molecular geneticist and heads Ocular Genetics at CERA. He began his research career in the UK after his PhD studies at the University of London, working in the field of cancer genetics at the Institute of Child Health. Following senior research positions at the Hanson Centre, Adelaide and the Walter & Eliza Hall Institute in Melbourne, Paul Baird joined CERA in Paul s research team focuses on the identification of genes and determinants involved in several major eye diseases including glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, myopia and keratoconus. He leads a group actively involved in international collaborations including international consortia researching AMD, myopia and keratoconus. He is also vice president of the Asian Eye Genetics Consortium. A range of cutting edge techniques including genome wide association, interaction studies, genome sequencing, copy number analysis, pharmacogenetics and bioinformatics are undertaken with the aim of personalising patient care and improving treatment outcomes. His key achievements include the identification of numerous genes associated with myopia, keratoconus and AMD which have played an essential role in investigations into early diagnosis, treatment, and understanding how these genes lead to eye disease. Professor Baird is also an editorial board member of eight journals. Frequently, Professor Baird is invited to organise, chair and present at international forums on eye disease and was recognised by the Association of Community Ophthalmologists of India with the Golden Eye International award in 2010 and is a recipient of the visiting professor programme at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in Professor Baird s work has also been acknowledged by the Australian Academy of Science with an Australia-India Senior Visiting Fellowship and NHMRC Senior Research Fellowships. Contact: pnb@unimelb.edu.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 2 of 16

3 Professor Jonathan Crowston BSc, MBBS, PhD, FRCOphth, FRANZCO Head, Glaucoma Research and Managing Director, CERA Professor Jonathan Crowston is the Ringland Anderson Professor of Ophthalmology and Managing Director of CERA. He undertook his ophthalmology training at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London and was awarded a PhD at the Institute of Ophthalmology and University College London (2000) for basic research in conjunctival wound healing. He completed a Glaucoma Fellowship at the Centre for Vision Research in Sydney, Australia, before joining the Hamilton Glaucoma Centre at University California San Diego, where he subsequently joined the faculty prior to moving to Australia in His current research interests are focused around ageing and neuroprotection of the optic nerve. In particular the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in optic nerve vulnerability to injury. Jonathan has attracted funding the National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia), Australian Research Council and the Wellcome Trust (UK). He has published over 90 peer-reviewed manuscripts and co-authored two books. Jonathan has received a number of prestigious awards for his research and recently gained the RANZCO College of Ophthalmologists Excellence in Teaching Award. Contact: crowston@unimelb.edu.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 3 of 16

4 Dr Elsie Chan B.Sc(Med)Hon MBBS(Hon) MPH FRANZCO Dr Chan is a consultant ophthalmologist at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, with a strong interest in corneal disorders and cataract surgery. She is a graduate from the University of Sydney where she was awarded the degrees of Bachelor of Science (Medicine) (Honours) and Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). She subsequently completed a Masters of Public Health at the University of New South Wales before completing her ophthalmology training at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. She has undertaken further fellowship training in the United Kingdom, including an anterior segment fellowship at St Thomas Hospital, London and then a cornea fellowship at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Contact: elsie.chan@eyeandear.org.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 4 of 16

5 Dr Elaine Chong MEpi PhD FAMS FRANZCO Dr Chong completed her Ophthalmology training and Medical Retina Fellowship at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia. Subsequently she then practiced as an associate Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Singapore National Eye Centre, where she completed her 2nd fellowship in Corneal, External disease and Refractive Surgery. Dr Chong is a Fellow of the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (FRANZCO). She was awarded the Gold Medal for Excellence (K. G. Howsam Medal) at the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) Advanced Clinical Exams in Dr Chong also holds a PhD and Masters of Epidemiology from the University of Melbourne. Research work from her PhD was selected out of over 6000 submitted papers as one of the 40 newest and most innovative research conducted at Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) conference in USA, and she was also awarded the Young Investigator s Merit Award (Clinical Sciences) at the ASIA-ARVO Scientific Meeting (2007). Elaine is a registered ophthalmology specialist practitioner with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. Dr Chong is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, International Society of Refractive Surgery, Cornea Society, Asian Cornea Society, the Australia Medical Association, the Australian and New Zealand Society of Retinal Specialists, the Australian Society of Ophthalmologists, the Oceania Retinal Association, the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, and the Australian Chinese Medical Association Victoria. She is also a Fellow of the Academy of Medicine, Singapore. Contact: ewtchong@unimelb.edu.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 5 of 16

6 Associate Professor Mark Daniell MB BS, MS, FRANZCO, FRACS Head, Corneal Research Mark Daniell is the Head of the Corneal Unit at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and Associate Professor at CERA and the University of Melbourne. His main research interests are in cornea and external disease and stem cell surgery, as well as surgery of the cornea and lens. Mark s research at CERA is into corneal stem cell transplantation. Stem cells from various parts of the eye can be cultivated and expanded in the laboratory. Successfully transplanting these delicate cell layers requires the development of thin, transparent, biocompatible membranes. Together with collaborators at the University of Melbourne s Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department and at the Mawson Institute in Adelaide, Mark and his team are developing novel substrates for the transfer of stem cells into the eye. Clinical trials into treatment of limbal stem cell failure secondary to chemical burns are due to start later this year. His other research interest is in ocular infection. The current project is looking at innate immunity in the eye, in particular, the role of manninbinding lectin (MBL) in initiating the complement cascade Contact: daniellm@unimelb.edu.au Dr Thomas Edwards MBBS (Hons), PhD (Cantab), FRANZCO Senior Research Fellow Dr Thomas Edwards is an ophthalmologist at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital with a PhD from the University of Cambridge, UK. Supported by Professor Jonathan Crowston s mentorship and training early in his ophthalmology career, Dr Edwards was awarded a prestigious Oxford Nuffield Medical Fellowship in 2014 to study with Professor Robert MacLaren in the Nuffield Laboratory of Ophthalmology at the University of Oxford, UK a world-leading centre for gene therapy. Tom recently returned to CERA in 2017 with the goal to establish a laboratory research centre for development, testing and delivery of new gene therapy treatments to preserve and restore sight of Australians suffering from inherited blinding diseases. Contact: Thomas.edwards@unimelb.edu.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 6 of 16

7 Dr Xavier Fagan MBBS FRANZCO Dr Fagan is a Melbourne based ophthalmologist specialising in cataract surgeries with a sub-speciality in retinal diseases and uveitis. He completed his undergraduate medical degree with honours at The University of Melbourne in Resident medical years were spent at St. Vincent's Hospital Melbourne and The Royal Melbourne Hospital. Dr Fagan commenced his ophthalmology registrar training at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in 2007 and finished in This provided comprehensive medical and surgical ophthalmology training. He achieved success in the final examinations by receiving the K G Howsam medal for best performing doctor in Australia and New Zealand. He subsequently undertook 18 months of subspecialty fellowship training in medical retina and ocular inflammatory disorders at the same institution. As part of this fellowship, he has published his research and presented at scientific meetings. Dr Fagan is a consultant ophthalmologist at the Austin and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospitals. He is also a clinical lecturer with The University of Melbourne in the faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences. Contact: xavier.fagan@unimelb.edu.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 7 of 16

8 Professor Robyn Guymer MBBS, PhD, FRANZCO Head, Macular Research and Deputy Director, CERA Robyn Guymer is a Professor of Ophthalmology at University of Melbourne and Deputy Director of the Centre for Eye Research Australia. She is also a senior retinal specialist at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. She is a clinician scientist leading a team of 20 researchers primarily investigating Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). Prof Guymer has investigated genetic and environmental risk factors for AMD, predictors of response to treatments for late AMD, as well as being a principal investigator in many industry sponsored trials. Prof Guymer is on several advisory boards, is the clinical program leader and on the scientific leadership team of Bionic Vision Australia and is part of the Mactel consortium and Beckman AMD initiative in the USA. She is currently investigating new strategies for treating early stage disease with a nanosecond laser and is working to identify novel imaging and functional biomarkers and surrogate endpoints to allow efficacy of interventions to be determined. She is a member of the Macular Society and a founding fellow of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences. Contact: rh.guymer@unimelb.edu.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 8 of 16

9 Professor Mingguang He MD, PhD, FRANZCO Principal Investigator Professor Mingguang He is the Professor of Ophthalmic Epidemiology at the University of Melbourne. Prof He undertook his medical training in China, holds a Masters degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and a PhD in ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London. Professor He is a global expert in vision-related clinical and epidemiologic research. He led several important population-based studies in China, including the first glaucoma survey and a large-scale twin study in China. Prof He serves on the editorial board of several important journals, including Ophthalmology, PLoS One, Molecular Vision and APJO. Currently Prof He is the deputy secretary-general of Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology. His research interests include clinical and epidemiological research, randomized clinical trials, twin studies and imaging technology. His current research priority is big data and precision medicine. Contact: mingguang.he@unimelb.edu.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 9 of 16

10 Dr Nathan Kerr Principal Investigator, Clinical Trials Research Centre Dr Nathan Kerr is a fellowship-trained glaucoma subspecialist from Melbourne, Australia. Nathan graduated from the University of Auckland with the Senior Prize in the Bachelor of Human Biology as a first-class candidate and the Sir Douglas Robb Prize for the most distinguished academic performance in the Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery degree. Nathan is currently undertaking a Glaucoma Surgical Trials Fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital under the supervision of Dr Keith Barton and Dr Nicholas Strouthidis. Nathan is an investigator in several landmark multicentre controlled trials in glaucoma including the Primary Trabeculectomy versus Tube Study (PTVT) and the Treatment of Advanced Glaucoma Study (TAGS). Recently, he has been involved in the establishing Moorfields Eye Hospital as the first site in the United Kingdom to be involved in the Inn Focus MicroShunt Study. Dr Kerr is a member of the Allergan International Glaucoma Panel, a collaborative research network whose members are chosen based on research output and nomination by key opinion leaders in ophthalmology. Nathan is excited to return to Melbourne in March 2017 to take on a role as lead for industry sponsored and multicentre studies in glaucoma at the Centre for Eye Research Australia. Contact: nathan.kerr@me.com 8 Dec 2017 Page 10 of 16

11 Associate Professor Lyndell Lim MBBS, DMedSci, FRANZCO Clinical Research Head, Clinical Trials Research Centre Lyndell Lim, a Uveitis and Medical Retina Specialist, leads the Clinical Trials Research Centre at CERA. After completing her Ophthalmology training in Melbourne, A/Prof Lim then completed two Fellowships one in Medical Retina at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, and one in Uveitis/Ocular Inflammatory Disease at the Casey Eye Institute, Portland, Oregon, USA. A/Prof Lim s main research interests are clinical studies in the fields of uveitis and ocular immunology, and diabetic retinopathy. Her team runs both investigator initiated and sponsored clinical trials that aim to investigate new treatments in a variety of ophthalmic diseases, she is principal investigator on several of these studies. In addition to her work at CERA, in December 2014 A/Prof Lim became Head of the Ocular Immunology Clinic at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Contact: limllp@unimelb.edu.au Dr Thanh Nguyen MBBS PhD FRANZCO Dr Thanh Nguyen is a Melbourne trained eye specialist and surgeon specialising in general ophthalmology. He has a strong interest in diseases of the retina, in particular diabetic retinopathy. He is currently an ophthalmology consultant at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and Monash Health and has completed a research fellowship at the Centre for Eye Research Australia. Following his undergraduate studies, Thanh received his PhD from the University of Melbourne in He went on to become a Fellow of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (FRANZCO) in Contact: ttngu@unimelb.edu.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 11 of 16

12 Dr Helen Ormandy BSc(Hons), BLaws(Hons), Grad Cert HECON, PhD Head of Clinical Operations and Manager Legal and Policy, Clinical Trial Research Centre, CERA Dr Helen Ormandy completed a PhD at the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in neurobiology and is also a law graduate with an interest in commercialisation and governance. Helen has over 20 years experience in drug development at Director level with global pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. Her experience includes oversight of multicentre clinical trials in AsiaPac, LatAm, Middle East, Africa, Russia and Europe. Phone: or cera-trials@unimelb.edu.au or helen.ormandy@unimelb.edu.au Associate Professor Salmaan Qureshi MBBS(Adel) FRANZCO Principal Investigator, Clinical Trials Research Centre Associate Professor Salmaan Qureshi is Associate Professor of Ophthalmology at the Centre for Eye Research Australia Australia in the University of Melbourne. He is a Medical Retina Specialist and a Principal Associate of Eye Surgery Associates. In 2008 he was appointed Editor in Chief of the Royal Australian & New Zealand College of Ophthalmology s journal Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology. He attended the University of Adelaide Medical School graduating in Ophthalmology training was undertaken at Flinders Medical Centre, the Royal Adelaide Hospital, Leeds General Infirmary and finally Moorfields Eye Hospital where he was a fellow to Professor Alan Bird. He serves as a senior consultant in the Medical Retina Service at the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital, and co-chairs the weekly Retina Angiogram Meeting with Dr Alex Harper, a job he has done for the last 11 years. He is the current editor of The Interactive Atlas of Retinal Disease available on the Apple ipad and iphone. Contact: shq@unimelb.edu.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 12 of 16

13 Dr Sukhpal Sandhu MB ChB MD FRCOphthUK FRANZCO Principal Investigator, Clinical Trials Research Centre Dr Sukhpal Sandhu graduated from the University of Manchester completing his ophthalmology training in Newcastle, United Kingdom. He obtained a Doctor of Medicine degree for his research into the imaging of diabetic retinopathy and Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). As well as his interest in Medical Retina, he is an experienced cataract surgeon. He completed a Medical Retina Fellowship at RVEEH and currently holds an appointment in the Medical Retina clinic there. Dr Sandhu is a principal investigator in several industry-sponsored trials in AMD and diabetes, while pursuing his own research interests. Contact: sukhpal.sandhu@unimelb.edu.au Dr Neil Shuey MBBS(Hons) BMedSci Tas MScOptom Melb Dr Shuey originally trained in optometry, completing a Master s Degree at the University of Melbourne and working for a year as a volunteer to the St John Ophthalmic Hospital in Jerusalem. He graduated in Medicine from the University of Tasmania in 2002 with First Class Honours, before completing physician training as a Neurologist. He has completed two fellowships in Neuro-Ophthalmology, at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne, and at the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Trust in the UK. Neil is currently a consultant Neurologist and Head of Clinic of the Neuro- Ophthalmology Clinic at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, and also the Head of Clinic of the Neuro-Immunology Clinic at St Vincent s Hospital, Melbourne. His clinical interests include Neuro-Ophthalmology, Multiple Sclerosis and related disorders in Neuro-Immunology, and Vestibular disease. He is Principal Investigator in a number of clinical trials for Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder (NMOSD) and Non-Arteritic Anterior Ischaemic Neuropathy (NAAION). He has published across these fields, and is heavily involved in teaching to a variety of health care professionals and students. Contact: nshuey@ausdoctors.net 8 Dec 2017 Page 13 of 16

14 Dr Richard Stawell MBBS FRACS FRANCO Dr Stawell has a special interest in managing patients with oculoplastics and lacrimal disorders, inflammatory eye disease and general ophthalmology including cataract surgery. Dr Stawell trained in ophthalmology at The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Following this, additional experience was gained in the United Kingdom, especially in the field of oculoplastic and lacrimal surgery. The award of a College Travelling Fellowship enabled sabbatical leave to be taken to consolidate a special interest in inflammatory eye disease. Time was spent at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, the Wilmer Institute at Johns Hopkins, and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in the United States. Involvement with ophthalmology organisations is an important part of Dr Stawell s professional life. He is a past president of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, and has been chair of the College s research arm (the Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia) also a past chairman of the senior medical staff of the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Contact: rstawell@unimelb.edu.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 14 of 16

15 Dr Sanj Wickremasinghe BSc (Hons), MBBS, FRCOphth, FRANZCO Principal Investigator, Clinical Trials Research Centre Dr Sanj Wickremasinghe completed his Ophthalmology training in the United Kingdom at Moorfields Eye Hospital, during which time he completed subspecialty training in Medical Retina and Uveitis. He undertook a second Medical Retina fellowship at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital which incorporated both clinical and research experience. Since 2009 he has been a Senior Research Fellow in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Melbourne and the Centre for Eye Research Australia and has conducted his own research into the treatment and investigation of factors affecting the outcome of treatment in patients with neovascular Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD). From this work, multiple peer-reviewed papers have been accepted for publication and the work from this research is under submission for the award of a Doctor of Medical Science degree. He is a principal investigator in many multi-centre international and national drug trials of new treatments in both AMD, diabetic macular oedema and retinal vein occlusion and has written several articles for peer reviewed journals as well as over 30 clinical and research papers. He has reviewed for major international journals and is a section editor for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology. Contact: sanjw@unimelb.edu.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 15 of 16

16 Dr Peter van Wijngaarden MBBS, PhD, FRANZCO Principal Investigator, Diabetic Retinopathy & Neuroglial Interactions, Deputy Director, CERA Dr Peter van Wijngaarden is a Principal Investigator at CERA and a Senior Clinical Fellow at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. After finishing top of his class in Medicine at Monash University, Peter moved to the Department of Ophthalmology at Flinders University, South Australia to complete his PhD in the field of retinal vascular biology. He then trained as an ophthalmologist in Victoria and became a Research Fellow at CERA. In 2011, Peter was awarded an NHMRC Overseas Based Clinical Research Fellowship to pursue his research interests at the University of Cambridge, UK. He developed experience in regeneration of the central nervous system in multiple sclerosis, working under Professor Robin Franklin. Since returning to CERA, Peter s research focuses on three broad areas: harnessing the power of endogenous stem cells for regeneration in multiple sclerosis, interactions between neurons and glial cells in eye disease, and diabetic retinopathy. Peter was awarded an Incubator Grant from MS Research Australia in 2017 to further his research on the eye as a monitor of disease activity and repair in multiple sclerosis (MS). He will use the funding to develop a laboratory model of MS that is based on damage to the optic nerve and allow researchers to test new therapies that aim to repair damaged myelin in MS and determine if they are effective. Contact: peterv@unimelb.edu.au 8 Dec 2017 Page 16 of 16