vol 7, no 1| March 2011
Focus on eye health wins NHMRC recognition Flinders University Professor Keryn
Associate Head of Faculty (Research),
Williams’ 25-year mission to decrease the said blindness exerts significant physical, burden of blindness has earned her a
emotional and financial constraints and
major National Heath and Medical
hardship upon individuals.
Research Council (NHMRC) Fellowship.
of the retina are also significant causes of visual impairment.” Professor Williams will also: investigate the basis of susceptibility to retinopathy of
“The World Health Organisation notes
prematurity, a common cause of
The five-year Research Fellowship was
that, in terms of economic loss to the
blindness in low birth-weight infants;
announced by Minister for Mental Health
community, blindness is the most
expand the evidence-base for outcomes
and Ageing, Mark Butler.
expensive of all causes of chronic
of human corneal transplantation; and
disability,” Professor Williams said.
investigate the efficacy of interventions for
The fellowship will enable Professor
keratoconus, or conical cornea.
Williams to explore the application of
“Existing treatments of some conditions
gene therapy and other methods to
do not prevent blindness in all cases,” she Flinders Deputy Vice-Chancellor
improve outcomes in the treatment of a
said.
range of eye diseases.
“Corneal graft failure is associated with
(Research), Professor David Day said the NHMRC Fellowship was a tribute to Professor Williams’ dedication to her field.
Professor Williams, who is Associate
rejection, inflammation and
Leader of the Eye and Vision
neovascularisation. Inflammatory eye
“As founder and Scientific Director of the
Collaborative Group at Flinders and
disease and aberrant neovascularisation
Australian Corneal Graft Registry and founding member of the NHMRC Centre for Clinical Research Excellence in Evidence-Based Ophthalmology, Professor Williams has led a group researching causes of blindness that are common in our community,” Professor Day said. “On behalf of Flinders and every patient whose sight has improved thanks to her pioneering efforts, I would like to extend my heartiest congratulations to Professor Williams,” he said. Keryn.Williams@flinders.edu.au Adapted from original article in Flinders News
Professor Keryn Williams