Download Prevent Blindness Foundation Queensland Eye Institute 2011

QUEENSLAND
Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
2011 Annual Report
Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
QUEENSLAND
Index
Mission and Vision Statement
3
Board of Directors
4
Chairman & CEO’s Report
6
PBF Farewells
8
Patient Stories
9
Madeleine Lenz
12
Scratching Below the Surface of Stem Cell Research
13
QEI’s Eye Catching Fashion Event
15
Queensland Eye Institute’s National Sunnies Day 10
November 2011 - Protect YOUR Pupils!
16
Clinical Report
17
Education Report
18
Research Report
19
Research Projects
21
Grants Awarded
24
Publications25
Conference Presentations
29
Our People
32
Thank you to our Donors and Sponsors
35
New Look Logo for Queensland Eye Institute
36
Ambassadors37
Summary of Financial Data
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Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
Annual Report July 2010 December 2011
Mission
Our mission is to provide excellence in research, education and clinical care to reduce eye disease,
improve eye health, and ultimately eliminate preventable blindness in the community.
We will achieve this aim through our dedication to basic, applied and clinical research; teaching
and education programmes to students, registrars, fellows, eye care workers and the general
community; and the provision of specialist clinical services to both patients and other health care
workers.
Vision
Our vision is that our Institute will be internationally recognised for its efforts in research, education
and clinical care to reduce eye disease and promote eye health in the community.
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Board of Directors
Mark Sheridan – Chairman
Mark Sheridan is Audit Partner with leading Chartered Accountants Hanrick
Curran in Brisbane. He has a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons) and is a Fellow
of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia. He is also an
Associate with the Australian Institute of Management. Mark joined the
PBF Board in 2003, and was appointed Secretary in 2006 until April 2011
when elected Chairman.
Mark Radford – Executive Director and CEO
Dr Mark Radford has been Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer
for the Queensland Eye Institute since March 2010. Prior to joining the
Queensland Eye Institute, Mark was CEO and Managing Director of
Symbiosis Group Limited, a science and biotechnology investment,
management and commercialisation company. He also has been actively
involved in corporate governance and management issues. Mark has
both a Doctor of Medicine and a PhD and has extensive experience in
medical research both here in Australia and Japan.
Desmond Hancock – Director (Resigned 12 December 2011)
Des Hancock retired as the National General Manager (Marketing and
Sales) of Rothmans Australia after a 35 year career with the company,
which included 10 years as State Manager, Queensland. He was
Chairman of the Queensland Winter Racing Carnival from 1994 to 1997.
He was a Board Member of the Queensland Government Major Sports
Facilities Authority and spent 10 years with the Lang Park Trust, which he
chaired for most of that time. He was appointed a Director of the Prevent
Blindness Foundation in 1997 and Chairman in 2002 until April 2011
Lawrence Hirst – Director (Resigned 12 December 2011)
Ophthalmologist Lawrie Hirst was the Executive Director of the Prevent
Blindness Foundation and inaugural CEO of the Queensland Eye Institute
until February 2010. He has been with PBF since 1986 and has been
responsible for driving the growth of the Foundation for 25 years. Lawrie
was Secretary from 1990 until May 27, 2010. He was appointed a Director
in 1993.
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John Young – Director (Resigned 27 June 2011)
John is the retired principal partner of, and consultant to, Macrossans
Lawyers, Brisbane. His areas of practice include business law and mining.
He brings to the Board management and directorial insight through his
appointments with companies including Thiess Holdings Limited, Peabody
Australia Pty Ltd, and Thiess Peabody Mitsui Coal Pty Ltd. John served
in the Royal Australian Naval Reserve for many years, culminating in the
appointment as Commanding Officer (Reserves), Brisbane Port Division.
John joined the PBF Board in 2007 and resigned in June 2011.
Samantha Wilkinson – Director
Samantha is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
and has post graduate qualifications in business and marketing from
Queensland University of Technology. She is a Director of Allied Timber
Products, a manufacturing company operating two sawmills in Queensland
and New South Wales and has extensive marketing experience. Samantha
joined the PBF Board in 2009 and was appointed Secretary in 2011.
Brett Greensill – Director
Brett Greensill is Principal of LJ Hooker New Farm. He brings a wealth of
business skills to the Foundation with 13 years experience as an estate
agent in the New Farm area and the owner of his own successful LJ
Hooker franchise, ensuring his negotiation and marketing skills are first
class. With exceptional people skills and a prodigious work ethic he
remains committed to helping his community through fundraising and
community awareness initiatives that bring solutions to the less fortunate.
Brett joined the PBF Board in 2009.
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Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
Chairman &
CEO’s Report
2011 has been a hard year for a lot of people. In Queensland it started
with the January floods, and has continued with economic uncertainty as
international financial markets have been exposed to various stresses.
Given these issues, it has been a challenging year for the Prevent
Blindness Foundation (PBF). But with the help of our donors, supporters
and staff, we have been able to continue our sight saving work.
This year we held two major functions. The first was the awareness and
fundraising ‘eye catching fashion event’ in June, featuring the Australian
designer Camilla Franks and acclaimed singer Anna Maria LaSpina. The
second was the inaugural National Sunnies Day on November 10, with
an official launch in Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall. One of the enviable
aspects of living in Australia, and especially Queensland, is our outdoor
lifestyle. But as with many things in life there are potential downsides
to this lifestyle. Just as excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays can
damage our skin, so too can it damage our eyes. The aim of National
Sunnies Day is to raise awareness of the dangers of excessive exposure
to harmful UV rays and promote the use of sunglasses as a protective
measure that will allow us to fully enjoy our lifestyle. The Queensland
Eye Institute (QEI) worked together with the Department of Education to
create primary school education kits about the eye, eye health and eye
disease. Our Day was a success and we look forward to building upon
2011 in 2012 and to make it a staple feature of each year’s calendar.
Our mission is to provide clinical care, educate all levels of eye health providers, conduct research,
and find new ways to save sight and stimulate awareness of eye health in the community. This is
a central focus of our clinicians, scientists and staff. Our clinical faculty (Professor Lawrence Hirst,
Associate Professor Tony Kwan, Dr Anthony Pane, and Professor Ravi Thomas) provide state of
the art care in their areas of sub-speciality, and continue to be active in research and training of eye
specialists and optometrists. Our research faculty of laboratory scientists, visiting researchers and
research students are led by Professor Traian Chirila, Dr Peter Madden and Associate Professor
Damien Harkin, and are conducting a number of groundbreaking research projects.
In July 2010, Ms Anna Blake took over the role of Practice Manager from Mr Peter Tassius who had
been with us from the early days of QEI. Anna comes with a strong background in managing large
ophthalmic clinical practices and has been instrumental in organising the processes necessary to
run an efficient clinical practice.
The PBF and QEI rely on the support and hard work of all our staff, so ably led by our General
Manager, Ms Kelly Langdon, and Practice Manager, Anna. This year was no exception.
This year we saw the retirement of Prof. Lawrie Hirst, Mr. Des Hancock and Mr. John Young from
the PBF Board. Lawrie has been actively involved with the PBF for 25 years and was Executive
Director and CEO until February 2010. Lawrie still remains involved with the Institute as part of the
clinical faculty. Des has been on the board for over 14 years with the last 10 as Chairman. John was
Continued Next Page
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Prevent Blindness Foundation
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Chairman & CEO’s
Report continued
a director for four years. The Foundation owes a lot to the dedication,
support and hard work of these people. We have greatly appreciated
their advice and guidance over the years. While we will miss their regular
Board input, we know that their experience and suggestions can be
called upon. We will also be looking to bring new Board members aboard
and strengthening our governance and business analysis processes.
As always, we are grateful to Mr George Curphey, Chairman of the Sylvia
and Charles Viertel Foundation, and his fellow Trustees for their kind
support. Their long-term and continued support has been critical to our
success.
We wish to also thank all our donors, large and small, for their generous
support of our work. Without their support we could not do the work
we do. Their continued support is essential for the ongoing work of
the Queensland Eye Institute and its vision to improve the eye health of
Australia.
Some of our financial results are summarised in the charts and tables
in the Annual Report. Our results each year are audited by BDO Qld.
Their expertise adds to the financial and other internal controls we adopt
in managing our operations, and their generosity allows us to access
that expertise at a largely discounted fee. Copies of our audited financial
statements are available from the Foundation. Please contact our General
Manager if you would like a copy.
With your support, we look forward to 2012 with great enthusiasm.
Mark Sheridan
Chairman
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Mark Radford
Executive Director & CEO
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Queensland Eye Institute
PBF Farewells
It was with sadness and thanks that the Prevent Blindness Foundation said goodbye to two of its
important supporters. Prof. Lawrie Hirst and Mr Desmond Hancock retired from the PBF Board
after 25 and 14 years of service respectively. Here we look back at some of their memorable
achievements over this time.
Prof. Lawrie Hirst
Lawrie has spent the last quarter of a century on the Board of the Prevent
Blindness Foundation with the majority of that time as Executive Director. As CEO
he oversaw the establishment of the Queensland Eye Institute and established
a regular donation strategy for the Foundation. His work as an ophthalmologist
also involved him in establishing the Queensland Eye Bank and he was invited
to be the inaugural Professor in Ophthalmology at the University of Queensland.
Prof Hirst has also been actively involved in the research, development and
teaching of new surgical procedures including establishing the first anterior segment specialty clinic
in Queensland, introducing teaching initiatives for Ophthalmologists and Registrars such as the
Journal Clubs, Grand Rounds and Clinical Ophthalmology Workshops (COW) for medical students.
He also brought to Queensland many new treatments including tissue adhesive, artificial corneas,
Vitamin A and the use of sutures in lenses. Through his research into the role sunlight plays in many
Australian eye diseases, Prof. Hirst pioneered the PERFECT for PTERYGIUM procedure for which
he is now invited to teach all over the world.
Prof. Hirst has been one of the guiding hands of the Foundation for the past 25 years, and without
his help would not be where we are today.
Mr Desmond Hancock
Des was appointed a Director of the Prevent Blindness Foundation in 1997 and
was Chairman of the Foundation from 2002 to April 2011.
When Des took over as Chair he saw his role as stabilising the Foundation and
embarking initially on a period of consolidation. This led to the great association
with the Viertel Foundation, the expansion into the Annerley premises and the
recruitment of additional Faculty to the present day numbers.
He believes his steadying influence was necessary for that period and he hands over the Chair
at an exciting time. He says, “There is no doubt the PBF is on the threshold of an exciting and
expansive era and wishes the very best to his successors, Mark Sheridan and the new Board.”
Des and Lawrie receiving their plaques of appreciation from
Mark Sheridan for years of valued service to the Foundation.
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Patient Stories
Shirley’s Legacy - the Gift of Sight
Can you imagine being 17 (or any age), in hospital, lying on your back with both eyes bandaged
for 3 weeks?
Shirley Meyers suffered from Keratoconus (a disease of the Cornea) from the age of 12, and
the only treatment available at that time was to have a corneal transplant when she was old
enough. Between the ages of 17 and 18, Shirley had three corneal transplants. Each time the
post-op treatment meant lying on her back for 3 weeks with both eyes bandaged, only to suffer
the devastation of her body rejecting the donor tissue. This was pioneering treatment back in the
1960s.
For the next 40 plus years Shirley lived with poor vision. Then in 2003 she was referred to the
Queensland Eye Institute. At that time Prof. Lawrence Hirst was doing amazing things in both
research and development of better surgical techniques, and under his hand Shirley received her
4th corneal transplant.
The difference was amazing! This time her stay in hospital was just one night, there was only a
patch covering the treated eye and the surgery was extremely successful. Shirley’s vision was even
better than she’d hoped for.
Shirley was extremely grateful for the gift of sight and wanted to give something back to those who
had helped her.
Shirley’s chosen way of giving is to leave a legacy so that with time and adequate funding for
advanced research, poor vision will be a thing of the past.
Shirley said that she has done this, “in sincere appreciation of the work being performed by the
clinicians and research scientists at the Queensland Eye Institute to help them continue make
amazing breakthroughs and to give people like me the precious gift of sight”.
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Beryl’s Milestone Celebration Makes a Difference
Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “It is one of the most beautiful compensations of this life that no one
can sincerely try to help another without helping him or herself”.
This is certainly true for Beryl Neilson. Beryl recently celebrated her 80th birthday, and instead
of presents for herself she suggested that those who wished to give should give instead to the
Prevent Blindness Foundation.
Beryl comes from a family with a history of the eye disease Fuchs Dystrophy. Both her grandmother
and mother spent the last years of their life without vision.
Beryl also suffers from Fuchs Dystrophy and has experienced extensive eye treatment including
two corneal transplants, but due to the many advances in eye treatment and research Beryl can
now expect to maintain sight for life.
Had today’s treatments been available for her grandmother and mother they may not have lost
their sight.
Fuchs Dystrophy is a disease of the corneal endothelial cells. These are cells on the back of the
cornea that maintain its transparency; if the cells die, blindness can result unless a transplant is
performed. Prevent Blindness Foundation is working on how to improve growing these endothelial
cells so that better transplants are available.
Beryl’s greatest gift to all on her 80th birthday was the precious gift of sight.
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Queensland Eye Institute
New Treatments Offer Hope
for Saving Sight
Sue is one of those happy-go-lucky, easy to talk
to people you love to meet. Maybe partly because
of her nature and partly from years working for
the Police Department, Susan has learned to
take everything in her stride. For Susan Chelepy,
life with her police officer husband and two high
achieving children was perfect.
Then disaster struck: Susan and her son attended
the Brisbane International Tennis Tournament and
while watching a match, Susan’s eyesight began
to fade. Firstly she couldn’t keep track of the ball,
then all colour disappeared and by the time she
got home half an hour later she had very little
vision left. Obviously Susan was very frightened
and thinking the worst.
The very next day she was taken to an optometrist
who immediately sent her to an ophthalmologist
who was extremely concerned. To his credit, he
felt her condition warranted someone with highly
specialised skills in this area. He said “I can’t help,
but I know of someone who might be able to”, and she was sent to Dr Anthony Pane, Neuroophthalmologist at the Queensland Eye Institute.
Dr Pane had made a special study of optic nerve disease whilst undertaking his PhD research.
Susan was put through many tests, including an MRI and a lumbar puncture, to ensure an accurate
diagnosis. Dr Pane diagnosed a rare sort of inflammation in her optic nerve – the nerve of sight,
which joins the eyeball to the brain.
The unfortunate truth was that there was only a 50-50 chance of regaining sight, but at least
Sue had a chance. Accepting this, she began treatment with high doses of immune suppressant
medication. At the time Sue believe she might be facing a life of blindness.
What happened next was, according to Sue, “like a miracle” – over the following two weeks her
sight slowly returned until one morning she opened her eyes and could see the outline of her
husband’s suit hanging on the wardrobe door. With somewhat disbelief, Susan began to feel a tiny
hopeful spark that the treatment was actually working.
Sue’s treatment has been highly successful, and her sight has completely returned. She is once
again her happy self and will never forget the treatment she received at the Queensland Eye
Institute.
With your support, ongoing research here at QEI will continue to provide hope for people like
Susan, whose conditions may previously have been thought untreatable.
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Madeleine Lenz
A Woman of Vision
In 1999 Madeleine Lenz consulted Prof. Lawrence Hirst with a minor sight problem. The pair hit
it off straight away and Madeleine became extremely interested in Prof. Hirst’s plans to develop
an academic eye institute which would have world class sub-specialists, scientists, research
laboratory and teaching facilities to educate the people who would become the future of eye care
in Queensland and beyond.
Madeline with former CEO
Lawrie Hirst at the opening of the
Queensland Eye Institute in 2005.
Madeleine had worked extremely hard in her lifetime including many years mining for opals in
Lightning Ridge - an occupation unheard of for a woman in those days. She was also a very
generous lady, and has done many good things for people and communities in her lifetime.
Her interest in eye care and Prof. Hirst’s endeavours never waned, and on her death in December
2009 Madeleine left a very generous legacy to the Queensland Eye Institute (QEI). From this
bequest, QEI hopes to offer fellowships in research and clinical care so that the work of eliminating
blindness can continue.
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Queensland Eye Institute
Scratching Below
the Surface
of Stem Cell
Research
By Assoc. Prof. Damien Harkin
Over the last 10 years, there has been substantial
interest in the popular press reporting potential benefits
of stem cell research for the treatment of multiple
diseases. I hope to bring some clarity to the debate by
communicating to the general public in lay terms some
of the latest findings from stem research in the eye.
To begin, I need to point out that there has been much debate over how the term stem cell should
be defined. From a practical perspective and for the purpose of this series, I will be referring to
stem cells as those living components of tissues with the capacity to regenerate or repair parts of
the body. Importantly, it must also be borne in mind that many scientists would argue that stem
cells should also be defined by an ability to generate many different types of tissues including those
foreign to their original site of extraction from the body.
So what about the eye? Is there evidence that this pair of organs essential to the process of
vision contains stem cells? The simple answer is yes, but the evidence varies widely according to
which areas within the eye are being studied. In short, areas of eye which are required to undergo
regeneration in response to normal wear and tear contain clearest evidence of stem cells. Close
your eyes and think about where these cells might be. Now open and close your eyes five times
quickly and think about what might be happening to the surface of both eyes. In performing this
simple act, you have almost definitely removed a significant number of cells from the surface of
both eyes, but have no need for alarm as we have stem cells located at the periphery of the cornea
and within the conjunctiva which will replace those cells that have been lost.
In recent years, researchers at QEI and other laboratories throughout the world have exploited this
knowledge of corneal and conjunctival stem cells to repair the surface of the eye. Technically, these
stem cells are referred to as “epithelial”, meaning that they are derived from surface tissues. The
results from our initial clinical trials, however, suggest that in order to properly repair the surface
of the eye we also need to find additional stem cells that are able to produce a foundation for the
epithelial cells to grow on. We refer to these foundation stem cells as stromal stem cells and we
have recently isolated such cells from the periphery of the human cornea. These corneal stromal
stem cells remarkably display not only the ability to produce large numbers of new cells, but also
display evidence of producing cells from other tissues such as bone and cartilage. The next step
is now to show that the behaviour of these cells can be controlled sufficiently to enable improved
treatment of patients. We look forward to the challenge, and hope within five years to bring this
goal to fruition.
Continued Next Page
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Techniques for growing corneal tissue in the
laboratory rely upon the presence of cells which
are normally involved in producing new cells in
response to wear and tear. Within the retina, there
is substantial “wear and tear” but this process is
very different to what occurs in the cornea. Rather
than losing whole cells as occurs on the surface of
the cornea, the retina accumulates waste products
within cell fragments which must be efficiently
removed or else risk permanent damage. One of
the primary sources of retinal waste are the allimportant photoreceptor cells which are required
to sense light. Every day cellular fragments
containing waste from photoreceptor cells are
removed by an adjacent layer of cells known as
the retinal pigment epithelium (or RPE).
Under normal circumstances, the RPE efficiently
removes the photoreceptor waste fragments,
and the photoreceptor cells regenerate the
required amount of material to maintain their
function. Unfortunately the RPE, like the rest of
our body, gets a little tired and sluggish with age
and can eventually fail to remove the waste fast
enough to avoid tissue damage. In a practical
sense this damage means loss of RPE cells and
photoreceptor cells. Such damage is associated
with development of age-related macular
degeneration (AMD).
Outermost region of retina showing
photoreceptor cells (far left) and RPE
(brown layer of cells).
While the causes and treatment of AMD are complex, therapies based upon the transplantation of
healthy RPE cells are being considered as an option. Such therapies, however, will rely upon our
ability to grow RPE cells in the laboratory and transplant them into the back of the retina without
causing further damage to an already damaged eye. In recent studies at QEI, we have successfully
learned how to grow RPE cells from human tissue and are now looking for a reliable material on
which to attach the cells during transplantation. The challenges are great, but the rewards for our
patients are potentially even greater.
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Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
QEI’s Eye Catching Fashion Event
On Friday the 3rd of June Queensland Eye Institute hosted its
first major event for 2011, the Camilla Franks Eye Catching
Fashion Event at Cloudland, Fortitude Valley. The event was a
sell out and was attended by over 300 people. Sponsored by
Mercedes-Benz Brisbane and Treasury Casino & Hotel,
Australian designer, Camilla Franks’ fabulous designs were
paraded by well known Queensland models from the 70s to
the present, including a former Miss Australia. Nine Network
presenter Melissa Downes kindly compered the day, and
Anna Maria LaSpina entertained guests with her magnificent
voice. An amazing array of prizes was donated by generous
corporate supporters for our auction and raffles on the
day. Queensland Eye Institute would like to thank everyone
involved in making the day a great success!
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Queensland Eye Institute
Queensland Eye Institute’s
National Sunnies Day 10
November 2011 Protect YOUR Pupils!
2011 saw the inaugural ‘National Sunnies Day’ campaign organised
by the Queensland Eye Institute. The program is an exciting new
educational fundraising initiative for primary school age children
and aims to actively promote eye care and raise awareness to help
eliminate blindness in the community. Certain forms of eye damage
are preventable by simply wearing Australian regulated sunglasses
in childhood.
Queensland Eye Institute worked in partnership with Education
Queensland’s various school regions to produce education kits
which were especially developed for the school science curriculum
for years 3, 5 and 7, teaching strategies for good eye protection. A YouTube competition also
encouraged students to showcase their talents and newfound ‘eye
knowledge’ to win great prizes for their school, with Eagleby South
State School producing the winning entry.
At the official launch in the Queen Street Mall, Julie Attwood MP
(Parliamentary Secretary for Health) spoke of the importance of
preventative programs like ‘National Sunnies Day’ for protecting
the eye health of future generations.
All money raised from the merchandise sales and fundraising
activities for ‘National Sunnies Day’ went to the Prevent Blindness
Foundation to help continue the research, education and clinical
care being conducted at the Queensland Eye Institute to prevent
blindness and preserve sight. We would like to thank all the schools
and organisations who supported our ‘National Sunnies Day’.
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Queensland Eye Institute
Clinical Report
By Anna Blake, Practice Manager
It has been a very rewarding and successful year in the clinic
at the Queensland Eye Institute as we have continued to grow
and expand our subspecialty services. With the majority of
referrals coming from tertiary providers we have provided in
excess of 16,000 services to patients. This has been assisted
by the introduction of new equipment, including another field
analyser which has helped to reduce patient waiting times.
We have also made some physical changes to the front
reception area helping us to improve the service we can offer
to our patients by having more administrative staff available.
The installation of a coffee machine in our waiting room area
has also proven a great success.
This past year has also seen the introduction of new technology to include Medicare online
claiming. Accounts can now be lodged by our administrative staff directly with Medicare at the
time of account payment. This eliminates the need for our patients to attend a Medicare office as
patient rebates can be processed directly into nominated bank accounts.
We look forward to the year ahead as we continue to focus on ways to improve service delivery
and are faced with new e-health initiatives. A major upgrade of our IT infrastructure and software
will allow us to have access to cutting edge technology, giving our doctors access to real time
health information. This will help to improve continuity of patient care and service delivery to our
referring providers.
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Queensland Eye Institute
Education Report
By Prof. Ravi Thomas, Director of Education
In my second year as Director of Education I have had the
opportunity to build and develop on the education activities
undertaken at the Queensland Eye Institute.
Grand Rounds continued to be one of the major education
events organised by the Queensland Eye Institute. The
Grand Rounds offer the ophthalmic community and training
registrars an opportunity to participate in discussions on
patient management and clinical care with live patients
attending for examination. These evenings are always well
attended with discussions covering topics such as Medical
Retina, Uveitis, Ocular Oncology, Oculoplastics, Paediatrics,
Anterior Segment, Surgical Retina and Glaucoma.
After the success of the inaugural Optometrist Grand Round last year, the Institute has continued
this initiative with the second event being just as successful as the first. We are excited to be
including such a programme into our education curriculum.
We have also introduced a new IT software for our Grand Rounds, which allows participants to login via their home computer from anywhere in the world. This is a great step forward as doctors in
remote areas are now able to view and participate in the Grand Round lectures held at the Institute.
Another highlight was the 42nd Annual Scientific Congress of the Royal Australian and New Zealand
College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO) held in Adelaide. All our faculty members attended with
me, Dr Anthony Pane, Dr Tony Kwan and Prof. Lawrie Hirst all presenting at the Congress. Dr Tony
Kwan also presented a poster on Surgical Techniques in conjunction with Dr IJ Lee, and Dr Jim
McAlister together with his QEI team presented papers at the Cornea session. All courses were
very well received and we were delighted when some of our faculty members were invited to speak
again at the 26th Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Conference in Sydney.
Lectures and courses are an integral part of our education program here at the Prevent Blindness
Foundation. We pride ourselves on providing a high level of training to not only our immediate
community but also to the wider Asia-Pacific Region. We again travelled to India for teaching
sessions on Glaucoma Diagnostics, Detection of Progression and Critical Analysis with case
discussions.
I personally had the honour of being asked to speak at the South African Glaucoma Society, where
I presented seven lectures at their Annual Conference in Cape Town.
The Institute continued its dedication to the teaching of medical students and we again have had
the opportunity to instruct a number of medical students here at the wet lab facility. The Institute
also hosted two visiting health care professionals during the year, the first being a 5th year medical
student from Bond University with the other a visiting doctor from Vietnam. Both spent time with
our clinicians learning new skills and procedures.
It has been an exciting year for education and I look forward to future opportunities to learn
and share knowledge so that ultimately we will be able to eliminate preventable blindness in the
community.
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Research Report
By Prof. Traian Chirila, Chief Scientist
Our research activities expanded significantly over the period of
this report. In the QEI’s laboratories, the scientists successfully
continued the development of artificial substrates based on silk
fibroin for creating tissue-engineered constructs to be used in the
restoration of a damaged ocular surface or in the management
of certain corneal and retinal pathologies. We established a
method to isolate fibroin from wild silk, which displays enhanced
cell adhesion due to a structure different from the domesticated
silk fibroin. Our results on cultivating corneal and retinal cells
on fibroin have been published in 6 articles, including a leading
opinion paper in the journal Biomaterials, the highest ranked
journal in this field. The activities in this project benefited from
the expert guidance of Assoc. Prof. Damien Harkin of QUT, a
Visiting Scientist at QEI, and involved valuable contributions from Dr Karina George and our PhD student
Laura Bray, who is now in her final stage of being awarded the doctoral degree. Currently we are
preparing the first experiments in an animal eye model, scheduled for 2012.
A new research project commenced regarding the development of an artificial corneal endothelium
based on the concept of an electro osmotic flow through the intercellular tight junctions. In this project we
assured the collaboration of scientists at the prestigious GSI Helmholtz Centre for Heavy Ion Research
in Darmstadt, Germany. Under my supervision and involving collaboration with UQ and the University
of Western Australia (UWA), the project on biodegradable hydrogels for biomedical applications has
been finalized; it resulted in a PhD degree (Stefan Paterson through UWA), 5 papers published, and a
methodology for using synthetic peptides as degradable crosslinks. Also finalized under my supervision,
and involving collaborations with UQ, QUT and CSIRO, has been a project on the development of ocular
biomaterials with reduced calcification capacity. The lengthy concluding report has been accepted
for publication in Journal of Applied Polymer Science, in which we demonstrated that the creation
of interpenetrating polymer networks is a valid approach. Working with my student Hui Hui Lee (PhD
through UQ) and in collaboration with Professor Meijer’s group at the Eindhoven University of Technology,
The Netherlands, we obtained exciting results in our project of developing self-healing hydrogels as
vitreous substitutes or surgical viscoelastics. We demonstrated the validity of joining the polymer chains
through multiple hydrogen bonds in order to promote a self-assembling process leading to gels with selfhealing properties. We published the theoretical background of the multiple-point hydrogen bonding in
the prestigious Journal of Physical Chemistry, and currently a manuscript is in preparation regarding the
synthesis and characterization of the hydrogels.
Our scientists have attended 8 national and international conferences, where they presented 15
communications. Five overseas students have done their internship (3 to 4 months) in our laboratories,
all coming from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Marseille, France. The QEI’s management
has recently arranged a cooperation agreement with this institution, and 3 additional students will do
their internship at QEI in 2012.
Continued Next Page
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Research Report continued
In the area of clinical research, Professors Hirst and Thomas continued their work in the fields where they
are recognized worldwide as authorities: pterygium and anterior segment pathologies, and glaucoma
and clinical epidemiology respectively. Professor Thomas expanded considerably his collaborative
projects with ophthalmologists and scientists in China. In terms of number of publications, he is currently
the most prolific author at QEI. Dr Anthony Pane was recently awarded a PhD degree by UQ for his
seven-year research project into optic nerve disease. Both this nerve, which joins the eyeball to the
brain, and the nearby areas of the brain, can be affected by diseases leading to blindness or even death.
Dr Pane has developed a new methodology for assessing patients with optic nerve disease, which has
been passed to all eye specialists in Australia and New Zealand. Thanks to this important research,
many patients may now be spared unnecessary blindness, disability or death.
Our scientists and clinicians made sustained efforts to obtain research funding from various granting
bodies. However, some of our research grants have been completed during this period. Currently, the
scientists and the management are working on improved strategies to pursue grants more successfully.
It is planned that at least 3 applications for funding will be submitted in 2012.
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Research Projects
Project Title
Development of silk fibroin substrates for growing corneal cells
Investigators
Associate Professor Damien Harkin, Professor Traian Chirila, Dr Peter
Madden, Dr Zainuddin, Professor Lawrence Hirst
Project Title
Development of silk fibroin substrates for growing retinal epithelial cells
Investigators
Associate Professor Anthony Kwan, Sean Cheng, Associate Professor
Damien Harkin, Professor Traian Chirila
Project Title
Studies of phagocytic response of the rpe cells to igfbp family of proteins
Investigators
Associate Professor Damien Harkin, Dr Louise Ainscough
Project Title
Application of collagen crosslinking in the treatment of keratoconus
Investigators
Dr Peter Madden, Professor Traian Chirila, Dr Jim McAlister, Dr Fiona Li, Dr
Zainuddin, Professor Lawrence Hirst
Project Title
Self-healing gels as a novel concept of artificial vitreous substitute
Investigators
Professor Traian Chirila, Professor Andrew Whittaker, Bronwin Dargaville
Project Title
Retrospective study of sutured-in iol
Investigators
Professor Andrew McAllister, Professor Lawrence Hirst
Project Title
P.E.R.F.E.C.T. for PTERYGIUM®
Investigators
Professor Lawrence Hirst
Project Title
A biological examination of tissue removed using
PTERYGIUM® procedure
Investigators
Professor Lawrence Hirst, Dr Louise Ainscough, Associate Professor
Damien Harkin
Project Title
Hyperaemic response
Investigators
Liam Turner, Professor Lawrence Hirst
Project Title
Retrospective analysis of corneal transplantation
Investigators
Professor Lawrence Hirst
Project Title
COSMESIS of P.E.R.F.E.C.T. for PTERYGIUM®
Investigators
Professor Lawrence Hirst
Project Title
Paecilomyces keratitis/endophthalmitis
Investigators
Professor Lawrence Hirst
P.E.R.F.E.C.T. for
Continued Next Page
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Research Projects continued
Project Title
Improved instrumentation for corneal transplantation
Investigators
Professor Lawrence Hirst, Tony Horstman
Project Title
Surgical model for removal of eyes in eyebanks
Investigators
Professor Lawrence Hirst, Tony Horstman
Project Title
The effect of glaucoma and amd on driving and balance
Investigators
Joanne Wood, Alex Black, Associate Professor Anthony Kwan, Professor
Ravi Thomas
Project Title
The role of frequency doubling perimetry in the detection of ocular pathology
in vision centres
Investigators
Professor Ravi Thomas, Shobha Naveen, Praveen Nirmalan
Project Title
Genetic studies in glaucoma
Investigators
Subho Chakrabati, Inderjeet Kaur, Professor Ravi Thomas
Project Title
Glaucoma diagnostics
Investigators
Rajul Parikh, Professor Ravi Thomas
Project Title
Slow release delivery of biological immunosuppressant agents for cornea
and ocular surface disease control
Investigators
Dr Karina George, Catherine Gilbert, Mike Rathbone, Professor Traian
Chirila, Ross Norris, Dr Jim McAlister
Project Title
A prospective analysis of posterior lamellar corneal graft outcomes
Investigators
Dr Fiona Li, Alex Abalos, Dr Jim McAlister
Project Title
A prospective randomised controlled trial of the comparative rotational
stability of two commercially available toric lens implants in routine cataract
surgery
Investigators
Christopher Stuart, Alex Abalos, Dr Jim McAlister
Project Title
A retrospective analysis of toric lens stability in routine cataract surgery
associated with a normal or a diseased anterior segment
Investigators
Christopher Stuart, Alex Abalos, Dr Jim McAlister
Project Title
A prospective case series of moderate keratoconus in patients with
pentacam pachymetry ranging from 340 to 399 µm
Investigators
Dr Fiona Li, Alex Abalos, Dr Jim McAlister
Continued Next Page
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Research Projects continued
Project Title
A prospective randomised controlled trial to assess the efficacy of corneal
crosslinking for moderate progressive keratoconus
Investigators
Dr Jim McAlister
Project Title
Comparison of the usefulness of several methodologies in the determination
of recurrence of ocular surface squamous neoplasia after treatment with
topical mitomycin C
Investigators
Alex Abalos, Associate Professor Damien Harkin, Laura Sinfield, Dr Jim
McAlister
Project Title
Retinopathy of prematurity study by following early treatment protocol in a
unit-based approach in Brisbane, Australia in 2008
Investigators
Sean Cheng, Michael Forrest, Associate Professor Anthony Kwan, John
McCoombs, Kristen Gilshenan
Project Title
Micro-haemorrhage and the pathogenesis of amd: examining possible
mechanisms and therapeutics in a novel rat model
Investigators
David Pow, Nigel Barnett, Steven Taylor, Jan Provis, Associate Professor
Anthony Kwan, Trent Woodruff
Project Title
Improving ophthalmologists’ detection and treatment of optic nerve
disease (PhD Research)
Investigators
Dr Anthony Pane
Project Title
Amaurosis fugax analysis and education project
Investigators
Dr Anthony Pane, Dr Eve Hsing
Project Title
Primary health care provider eye disease misdiagnosis survey
Investigators
Dr Anthony Pane, Dr Michael Statham
Project Title
Corneal transplants by adding cells by injection on beads, not by surgery.
Investigators
Dr Peter Madden
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Grants Awarded
Professor T. V. Chirila: Smart State Innovation Projects Fund (Queensland), National
and International Research Alliances Program (2007-2010): “The International Biomaterials
Alliance”, co-awarded with investigators from University of Queensland; Royal Brisbane Hospital;
University of California at Santa Barbara, USA; Washington University at St Louis, USA; University
of Warwick, UK; and Queen Mary College University of London.
Professor T. V. Chirila: Australian Research Council, Discovery-Project DP0878615 (20082010): “Generation of peptidomimetic surfaces for biomaterials applications”, co-awarded with I.
Blakey, D. J. T. Hill (University of Queensland) and C. J. Hawker (University of California at Santa
Barbara, USA).
Assoc. Professor D. G. Harkin, Professors T. V. Chirila and I. R. Schwab: National Health
& Medical Research Council of Australia, Project Grant 553038 (2009-2011): “Development
of a novel bioengineered tissue construct for repairing the eye”, co-awarded with Professor D.
Hutmacher (IHBI, Queensland University of Technology).
Assoc. Professor A. Kwan: National Health & Medical Research Council of Australia,
Project Grant 569665 (2009-2011): “Using a unique model of human retinal disease to test novel
therapies”, co-awarded with D. V. Pow, J. M. Provis, S. M. Taylor, N. L. Barnett and T. M. Woodruff
(Centre for Clinical Research, University of Queensland; Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital).
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Publications
Ben-Nissan, B., Choi, A.H., Green, D.W., Latta, A., and Ben-david, A., Synthesis of
hydroxyapatite nanocoatings by sol-gel method for clinical applications, in Biological and
Biomedical Coatings Handbook: Processing and Characterisation, S. Zhang, Editor. 2011,
CRC Press: Boca Raton, Florida, USA.
Pane, A.R. Development of a Clinically Valid Protocol for the Assessment and Investigation of
Optic Neuropathy. PhD Thesis, University of Queensland Press, 2011.
Green, D.W. and Ben-Nissan, B., Biomimetic applications in regenerative medicine: scaffolds,
transplantation modules and tissue homing devices, in Handbook of Materials for Nanomedicine,
V. Torchilin and M. Mamiji, Editors. 2010, Pan Stanford Publications: Singapore. p. 821-850.
Hirst, L., Pterygium Surgery, in Clinical Atlas of Procedures in Ophthalmic and Oculofacial
Surgery, D.M. Albert and M.J. Lucarelli, Editors. 2011, Oxford. p. 180-194.
Abraham, L., Kuriakose, T., Sivanandam, V., Venkatesan, N., Thomas, R., and Muliyil, J.,
Correlation between ocular parameters and amplitude of accommodation. Indian Journal of
Ophthalmology, 2010. 58(6): p. 483-485.
Ainscough, S.L., Linn, M.L., Barnard, Z., Schwab, I.R., and Harkin, D.G., Effects of fibroblast
origin and phenotype on the proliferative potential of limbal epithelial progenitor cells. Experimental
Eye Research, 2011. 92(1): p. 10-19.
Albis-Donado, O., Gil-Carrasco, F., Romero-Quijada, R., and Thomas, R., Evaluation of
Ahmed glaucoma valve implantation through a needle-generated scleral tunnel in Mexican children
with glaucoma. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, 2010. 58(5): p. 365-373.
Bhardwaj, G., Moran, K.T., Thomas, R., Williams, K., Jacobs, M.B., Martin, F.J., and
Coroneo, M.T., Response to Letter on “Abusive head trauma”. Ophthalmology, 2011. 118(2):
p. 430-431.
Casadio, Y.S., Brown, D.H., Chirila, T.V., Kraatz, H.B., and Baker, M.V., Biodegradation
of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) (PHEMA) and poly{(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co[poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate]} containing peptide-based crosslinking agents.
Biomacromolecules, 2010. 11 (11): p. 2949-2959.
Chakrabarti, S., Ghanekar, Y., Kaur, K., Kaur, I., Mandal, A.K., Rao, K.N., Parikh, R.S.,
Thomas, R., and Majumder, P.P., A Polymorphism in the CYP1B1 Promoter is functionally
associated with primary congenital glaucoma. Human Molecular Genetics, 2010. 19(20): p.
4083-4090.
Chou, J., Ben-Nissan, B., Green, D.W., Valenzuela, S.M., and Kohan, L., Targeting and
dissolution characteristics of bone forming and antibacterial drugs by harnessing the structure
of microspherical shells from coral beach sand. Advanced Engineering Materials, 2011.
13(1-2): p. 93-99.
Chou, J., Green, D.W., and Ben-Nissan, B., New slow drug delivery materials and systems
for biomedical applications. Materials Australia, 2010(September): p. 38-41.
Feigl, B., Mattes, D., Thomas, R., and Zele, A.J., Intrinsically photosensitive (melanopsin) retinal
ganglion cell function in glaucoma. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 2011.
52(7): p. 4362-4367.
Continued Next Page
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Publications continued
Fong, A., Lee, G., O’Rourke, P., and Thomas, R., Management of neovascular glaucoma
with transscleral cyclophotocoagulation with diode laser alone versus combination trans-scleral
cyclophotocoagulation with diode laser and intravitreal bevacizumab. Clinical and Experimental
Ophthalmology, 2011. 39(4): p. 318-323.
Harkin, D.G., George, K.A., Madden, P.W., Schwab, I.R., Hutmacher, D.W., and Chirila, T.V.,
Silk fibroin in ocular tissue reconstruction. Biomaterials, 2011. 32(10): p. 2445-2458.
Hill, D.J.T., Whittaker, A.K., and Zainuddin, Water diffusion into radiation cross-linked PVA-PVP
network hydrogels
Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 2011. 80(2): p. 213-218.
Kanczler, J.M., Sura, H.S., Magnay, J., Green, D., Oreffo, R.O., Dobson, J.P., and El
Haj, A.J., Controlled differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells using magnetic
nanoparticle technology. Tissue Engineering Part A, 2010. 16(10): p. 3241-3250
Keen, I., Lambert, L., Chirila, T.V., Paterson, S.M., and Whittaker, A.K., Degradable hydrogels
for tissue engineering – Part I: Synthesis by RAFT polymerization and characterizatiopn of PHEMA
containing enzymatically degradable crosslinks. Journal of Biomimetics, Biomaterials, and
Tissue Engineering, 2010. 6: p. 67-85.
Keen, I., Chirila, T.V., Barnard, Z., Zainuddin, and Whittaker, A.K., Degradable hydrogels for
tissue engineering – Part II: Responses of fibroblasts and macrophages to linear PHEMA. Journal
of Biomimetics, Biomaterials, and Tissue Engineering, 2010. 8: p. 89-102.
Lee-Wang, H., Blakey, I., Chirila, T.V., Peng, H., Rasoul, F., Whittaker, A.K., and Dargaville,
B.L., Novel supramolecular hydrogels as artificial vitreous substitutes. Macromolecular
Symposia, 2010. 296(1): p. 229-232.
Madden, P.W., Lai, J.N.X., George, K.A., Giovenco, T., Harkin, D.G., and Chirila, T.V., Human
corneal endothelial cell growth on a silk fibroin membrane. Biomaterials, 2011. 32(17): p. 40764084.
Pane, A.R. and other members of the ODAP team: Optic disc evaluation in optic neuropathies:
The Optic Disc Assessment Project (The ODAP project). Ophthalmology, 2011. 118(5): p. 964970.
Pane, A.R. and Hsing, Y.S., Amaurosis Fugax. Medicine Today, 2011. 12(3): p. 80-83.
Paterson, S.M., Brown, D.H., Chirila, T.V., Keen, I., Whittaker, A.K., and Baker, M.V., The
synthesis of water-soluble PHEMA via ARGET ATRP in protic media. Journal of Polymer Science
Part A: Polymer Chemistry, 2010. 48(18): p. 4084-4092.
Praveen, M.R., Shah, S.K., Vasavada, A.R., Diwan, R.P., Shah, S.M., Zumkhawala, B.R.,
and Thomas, R., Pseudoexfoliation as a risk factor for peripheral vascular disease: a case-control
study. Eye, 2011. 25: p. 174-179.
Rao, K.N., Kaur, I., Parikh, R.S., Mandal, A.K., Chandrasekhar, G., Thomas, R., and
Chakrabarti, S., Variations in NTF4, VAV2 and VAV3 genes are not involved with primary
open angle and primary angle closure glaucomas in an Indian population. Investigative
Ophthalmology and Visual Science, 2010. 51(10): p. 4937-4941.
Stewart, C.M., Li, F., and McAlister, J.C., Late-onset, persistent Descemet’s membrane
detachment following uncomplicated clear corneal incision cataract surgery. Clinical and
Experimental Ophthalmology, 2011. 39(2): p. 171-174.
Continued Next Page
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Publications continued
Stewart, C.M. and McAlister, J.C., Comparison of grafted and non-grafted patients with corneal
astigmatism undergoing cataract extraction with a toric intraocular lens implant. Clinical and
Experimental Ophthalmology, 2010. 38(8): p. 747-57.
Tejwani, S., Murthy, S.I., Gadudadri, C.S., Thomas, R., and Nirmalan, P., Impact of a monthlong training program on the clinical skills of ophthalmology residents and practitioners. Indian
Journal of Ophthalmology, 2010. 58(4): p. 340-343.
Thomas, R., Letter to Editor. Reducing endophthalmitis in India: An example of the importance of
critical appraisal. Indian Journal of Ophthalmology, 2010. 58(6 ): p. 560-562.
Thomas, R., Glaucoma in India: current status and the road ahead. Indian Journal of
Ophthalmology, 2011. 59: p. 3-4.
Thomas, R., Loibl, K., and Parikh, R., Evaluation of a glaucoma patient. Indian Journal of
Ophthalmology, 2011. 59: p. 43-52.
Thomas, R., Walland, M.J., and Parikh, R.S., Clear lens extraction in angle closure glaucoma.
Current Opinion in Ophthalmology, 2011. 22(2): p. 110-114.
Tran, K. and Thomas, R., Transcameral suture for tube cornea touch. Clinical and Experimental
Ophthalmology, 2011. 39(2): p. 178-179.
Vaddavalli, P.K., Garg, P., Sharma, S., Sangwan, V.S., Rao, G.N., and Thomas, R., Role of
confocal microscopy in the diagnosis of fungal and acanthamoeba keratitis. Ophthalmology,
2011. 118(1): p. 29-35.
Walland, M. and Thomas, R., Role of clear lens extraction in adult angle closure disease. Clinical
and Experimental Ophthalmology, 2011. 39: p. 61-64.
Walland, M.J. and Thomas, R., So what’s our angle on this? (Editorial). Clinical and
Experimental Ophthalmology, 2010. 38(8): p. 743-744.
Zainuddin, Chirila, T.V., Barnard, Z., Watson, G.S., Toh, C., Blakey, I., Whittaker, A.K., and
Hill, D.J.T., F2 excimer laser (157 nm) radiation modification and surface ablation of PHEMA
hydrogels and the effects on bioactivity: surface attachment and proliferation of human corneal
epithelial cells. Radiation Physics and Chemistry, 2011. 80(2): p. 219-229.
Zainuddin, Strounina, E.V., Hill, D.J.T., and Whittaker, A.K., Magnetization-prepared NMR
imaging of water penetration into poly(vinyl alcohol)-poly(N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone) hydrogels. Polymer
International, 2010. 59(11): p. 1520-1525.
Bray L.J., George K.A., Ainscough S.L., Hutmacher D.W., Chirila T.V. and Harkin D.G.,
Human corneal epithelial equivalents constructed on Bombyx mori silk fibroin membranes.
Biomaterials, 2011. 32(22): p.5086-5091.
Madden P.W., George K.A., Lai J.N.X., Rodriguez G., Harkin D.G. and Chirila T.V., Use
of silk fibroin as a substratum for human corneal endothelium transplantation. Histology and
Histopathology: Cellular and Molecular Biology, 2011. 26(Suppl.1): 19.
Bray L.J., George K.A., Hutmacher D.W., Chirila T.V. and Harkin D.G., Fibroin-based materials
support co-cultivation of limbal epithelial and stromal cells. Histology and Histopathology:
Cellular and Molecular Biology, 2011. 26(Suppl.1): 339.
Paterson S.M., Clark J., Stubbs K.A., Chirila T.V. and Baker M.V., Carbohydrate-based
crosslinking agents: Potential use in hydrogels. Journal of Polymer Science, Part A: Polymer
Chemistry, 2011. 49(2): 4312-4315.
Continued Next Page
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Publications continued
Sun H., Lee H.H., Blakey I., Dargaville B., Chirila T.V., Whittaker A.K. and Smith S.C.,
Multiple hydrogen-bonded complexes based on 2-ureido-4[1H]-pyrimidinone: A theoretical study.
Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2011. 115(38): 11053-11062.
Thomas, R., Glaucoma section in “The state of the World’s Sight”, in International Agency for
Prevention of Blindness Report. 2010. p. 58-60.
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Selected Conference Presentations
Bray, L.J., George, K.A., Hutmacher, D.W., Chirila, T.V., and Harkin, D.G. Fibroin-based
materials support co-cultivation of limbal epithelial and stromal cells. in Tissue engineering and
regenerative medicine international society. EU Annual Meeting. 2011. Granada, Spain: Histology
and Histopathology.
Chen, Y., Sun, L., Thomas, R., Liang, Y., Fan, S., Sun, X., Li, S., Zhang, S., Li, N., and Wang.
Long-term Fluctuation of Intraocular Pressure of Primary Angle Closure Disease Following Laser
Peripheral Iridotomy/ iridoplasty. 16th Chinese Ophthalmological Society Annual Meeting.
2011. Guangzhou, China.
George, K.A., Schue, F., Chirila, T.V., and Wentrup-Bryne, E. PLLA-Based Networks for
Biomedical Applications. Pacifichem 2010. Honolulu, United States of America.
George, K.A., Sinfield, L.J., Harkin, D.G., and Chirila, T.V. Controlled Porosity of Fibroin Thin
Films Synthesised from Ternary Fibroin-PEO-Water Solutions for Corneal Regeneration. Pacifichem
2010. Honolulu, United States of America.
Hirst, L.W. Breakfast with the Experts - Pterygium Surgery. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
2010. Orlando, United States of America.
Hirst, L.W. Instruction Course presentation – Pterygium : The Outcome Measure is now Cosmesis,
Not Recurrence. American Academy of Ophthalmology. 2010. Orlando, United States of
America.
Hirst, L.W. Instruction Course presentation – Pterygium : The Outcome Measure is now Cosmesis,
Not Recurrence. American Academy of Ophthalmology. 2011. Orlando, United States of
America.
Hirst, L.W. Breakfast with the Experts - Pterygium Surgery. American Academy of Ophthalmology.
2011. Orlando, United States of America.
Kwan, A.S. Retinal Vein Occlusions - recent trials and real-world treatment implications. Summary
of trial results. Australian and New Zealand Society of Retinal Specialists Symposium 2011.
Sydney, Australia.
Kwan, A.S. Interpretation of Retinal OCT and Interesting Case Reviews. Australian Ophthalmic
Nurses’ Association, 23rd Annual Conference. 2011. Brisbane, Australia.
Kwan, A.S. Posterior segment OCT interpretation Orthoptics Australia Upskill Module 8:
Ophthalmic Imaging Techniques. 2011. Queensland Eye Institute, Brisbane.
Liang, Y., Rong, S., Meng, H., Fan, S., Thomas, R., Liu, W., and Wang, N. The Correlation
between Intraoperative and Early Postoperative Intraocular Pressure of Trabeculectomy. World
Glaucoma Congress 2011. Paris, France.
Lin, Z., Liang, Y., Li, S., Mou, D., Fan, S., Wang, N., and Thomas, R. Peripheral anterior
synechia reducing the opening of angle after laser peripheral iridotomy in angle closure eyes. 25th
Congress of Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting. 2010. Beijing, China.
Lin, Z., Mou, D., Liang, Y., Li, S., Zhang, R., Fan, S., Wang, N., and Thomas, R. Reproducibility
of anterior chamber angle measurement of ultrasound biomicroscopy image. 16th Chinese
Ophthalmological Society Annual Meeting 2011. Guangzhou, China.
Madden, P.W., George, K.A., Lai, J.N.X., Rodriguez, G., Harkin, D.G., and Chirila, T.V. Use
of silk fibroin as a substratum for human corneal endothelium transplantation. in Tissue engineering
and regenerative medicine international society. EU Annual Meeting. 2011. Granada, Spain:
Histology and Histopathology.
Continued Next Page
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Selected Conference
Presentations continued
Pane, A.R. Essential Neuro-Ophthalmology Update for Your Practice (Keynote Speaker). RANZCO
Queensland State Conference. 2010. Gold Coast, Australia.
Pane, A.R. Neuro-Ophthalmology for Ophthalmic Nurses. Australian Ophthalmic Nurses
Association (AONA) Conference. 2010. Brisbane, Australia.
Pane, A.R. Accurate and Efficient Assessment of Diplopia. Neuro-Ophthalmic Society of
Australia Neurovision Conference. 2010. Christchurch, New Zealand.
Pane, A.R. An Idiot’s Guide to Neuro-ophthalmology. RANZCO 2010 Annual Scientific
Congress. 2010. Adelaide Convention Centre, Adelaide
Pane, A.R. MRI or CT? And what sort of MRI to order? Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology
Congress. 2011. Sydney Conference Centre, Sydney.
Pane, A.R. Isolated optic nerve malignant lymphoma initially misdiagnosed as bilateral anterior
ischaemic optic neuropathy with equivocal temporal artery biopsy. Asia Pacific Academy of
Ophthalmology Congress. 2011. Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre, Sydney.
Pane, A.R. Should all patients with optic neuritis be investigated for neuromyelitis optica? Asia
Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress. 2011. Sydney Conference Centre, Sydney.
Pane, A.R. Keynote Lecture: Something interesting for a change. Royal Victorian Eye and Ear
Hospital Alumni Meeting. 2011. Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne.
Pane, A.R. Keynote Lecture: The bluffer’s guide to neuro. Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital
Alumni Meeting. 2011. Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne.
Pane, A.R. Optic nerve disease diagnosis: do we really know what we’re doing? NeuroOphthalmology Society of Australia (NOSA) Conference. 2011. Stamford Hotel, Adelaide.
Pane, A.R. Misdiagnosis of optic neuropathies by ophthalmologists in Australia and the United
Kingdom: incidence, implications and possible solutions. Neuro-Ophthalmology Society of
Australia (NOSA) Conference. 2011. Stamford Hotel, Adelaide.
Pane, A.R. Investigation-negative Corticosteroid-responsive acute atypical Optic Neuropathies
(ICON): incidence, clinical features, prognosis and classification. Neuro-Ophthalmology Society
of Australia (NOSA) Conference. 2011. Stamford Hotel, Adelaide.
Pane, A.R. Arteritic and non-arteritic anterior ischaemic optic neuropathy. Neurovision
Conference. 2011. Stamford Hotel, Adelaide.
Pane, A.R. Other optic neuritis variants, including neuromyelitis optica. Neurovision Conference.
2011. Stamford Hotel, Adelaide.
Pane, A.R. Practical clinical approach to afferent disease. Neurovision Conference. 2011.
Stamford Hotel, Adelaide.
Continued Next Page
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Selected Conference
Presentations continued
Rong, S., Liang, Y., Meng, H., Fan, S., Wang, X., Wang, N., and Thomas, R. The Correlation
between Early Post-operative IOP and Long-term Result of Trabeculectomy in Patient with Primary
Angle-closure Glaucoma. 15th Congress of Chinese Ophthalmological Society and the 25th
Congress of Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Joint Meeting. 2010. Beijing, China.
Rong, S.S., Meng, H., Fan, S., He, Y., Wang, R., Cui, H., Zhang, Z., Li, S., Huang, Y., Sun,
L., Wang, N., Liang, Y., and Thomas, R. Efficacy of Intraocular Pressure Guided Suture Tension
Adjustment during Trabeculectomy: Preliminary Report of a Randomized Controlled Trial. 16th
Chinese Ophthalmological Society Annual Meeting. 2011. Guangzhou, China.
Thomas, R. Unravelling the Jargon of Journals with Saarie. Evidence based ophthalmology.
2010. Adelaide, Australia.
Thomas, R. Risk Assessment and Application. Evidence based ophthalmology. 2010.
Adelaide, Australia.
Thomas, R. A Clinician’s Understanding of Health Economics. Evidence based ophthalmology.
2010. Adelaide, Australia.
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Queensland Eye Institute
Our People
Board of Directors
Mark Sheridan
Chairman (appointed April 2011) & Company Secretary
Desmond Hancock
Chairman (resigned April 2011) & Director (resigned December 2011)
Dr Mark Radford
Executive Director & CEO
Samantha Wilkinson
Director & Company Secretary (appointed April 2011)
Brett Greensill
Director
Professor Lawrence Hirst
Director (resigned December 2011)
John Young
Director (resigned June 2011)
Management
Dr Mark Radford
Executive Director & CEO
Ms Kelly Langdon
General Manager
Mrs Anna Blake
Practice Manager
Continued Next Page
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Clinical Faculty Staff
Professor Lawrence Hirst
MBBS, MD, MPH (Hopkins), DO, FRANZCO, FRACS,
Cert AM Bd Ophth
Corneal and External Diseases(until December 2010)
Dr Anthony Pane
MBBS Hons, MMedSc, FRANZCO
Neuro-Ophthalmology
Associate Professor Tony Kwan
MBChB, MD, FRCOphth, FRANZCO
Retinal Diseases
Professor Ravi Thomas
MD, FRANZCO
Director of Teaching; Glaucoma
and Clinical Epidemiology
Dr Jim McAlister (Left August 2011)
MBBS, BSc Hons, FRCOphth, FRANZCO
Corneal and External Diseases
Honorary Clinical Faculty Staff
Professor Ivan Schwab
MD, FACS
University of California at Davis, Sacramento
Medical Center
Research Faculty Staff
Professor Traian Chirila
BEng, PhD, FRACI, CChem
Chief Scientist
Dr Peter Madden AM
BSc, PhD
Senior Scientist
Assoc Professor Damien Harkin
BSc Hons, PhD
Visiting Senior Scientist
Dr David Green (Left May 2011)
BSc, PhD
Research Officer
Dr Jinchun (Fiona) Li
MMedSci
Research Assistant
Audra Shadforth
BSc
Research Assistant
Continued Next Page
Page 33
QUEENSLAND
Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
Honorary Research Faculty & Students
Professor Emeritus Graeme George
Queensland University of Technology
Professor Andrew Whittaker
University of Queensland
Dr Beatrix Feigel
Queensland University of Technology
Professor Murray Baker
University of Western Australia
Dr Louise Ainsclough
BA, BAppSc, PhD
Research Officer
Dr Karina George
BAppSc, PhD
Visiting Scientist
Dr Mark Woolf
BSc, PhD
Visiting Scientist
Dr Neil Richardson
BAppSc, PhD
Visiting Scientist
Laura Sinfield
BSc
PhD Student
Hui Hui Lee
BSc
PhD Student
Peter Gillies
BAppSc, MAppSc
PhD Student
Miriem Santander Borrego
Masters in Science
Research Student (PhD)
Natalie McKirdy
BAppSc(MedSC)
Research Student (Postgraduate)
Emily Shanahan
BSc(BmedSc)(Hons)
Research Student (Postgraduate)
Page 34
QUEENSLAND
Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
Thank you to our Donors and Sponsors
As always, we are grateful to Mr George Curphey, Chairman of the Sylvia and Charles Viertel
Foundation, and his fellow Trustees for their kind support. Their long-term and continued support
has been critical to our success.
The Prevent Blindness Foundation together with the Queensland Eye Institute would like to thank
the following organisations for their generous support. It is through the generosity of our supporters
that we are able to offer and grow the vast number of services available here at the Foundation.
Hanrick Curran
Fashion Event
Mercedes Benz Brisbane
Corcorz Hair
Camilla Franks
McKims Jewellery Design
Treasury Casino & Hotel
Nine Network
Issada Cosmetics
Anna Maria LaSpina
National Sunnies Day
Gold Coast Titans
Laubman and Pank
Bridge to Brisbane
Grants
Jupiters Casino Community Benefit Fund
Thank you also to all our wonderful volunteers.
Page 35
QUEENSLAND
Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
New Look Logo for Queensland Eye Institute
Since its inception in 2005 the Queensland Eye Institute has built itself as a progressive, fresh and
dynamic organisation with a distinct personality which is underpinned by its three core areas of
work across research, education and clinical care. In 2011 we took the opportunity to refresh our
image and rebranded the Queensland Eye Institute to reflect these attributes. Our new logo, with
the three linked rings represents these areas of work.
Page 36
QUEENSLAND
Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
Ambassadors
Di Cant - Brisbane fashion
stylist, public speaker and
fashion marketing consultant
Di Cant, brings a touch of
flare to The Prevent Blindness
Foundation.
Bruce Paige - Prominent
Brisbane media identity
Bruce Paige is passionate
about giving back to the
community through his work
with Nine News.
Our foundation is about people.
The people who support us | The people who represent us | The people whose
sight we save
Page 37
QUEENSLAND
Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
QUEENSLAND
Summary of Financial Data
Extracted from Audited Financial Statements for July 2010 to June 2011
Prevent Blindness Foundation.
Balance Sheet Comparatives
Year
2011
2010
2009
2008
Cash and cash equivalents
2,909,160
4,077,265
4,336,228
4,598,501
Trade and other receivables
118,211
16,246
26,511
33,075
-
-
-
-
151,490
192,533
78,016
77,513
Total Current Assets
3,178,861
4,286,044
4,440,755
4,709,089
Property, plant & equipment
2,280,645
2,487,285
2,757,249
2,811,378
-
-
-
-
Financial assets
Other current assets
Investments
Intangible assets
39,181
45,328
63,503
11,293
Total non current assets
2,319,826
2,532,613
2,820,752
2,822,671
Total Assets
5,498,687
6,818,657
7,261,507
7,531,760
367,146
240,523
180,241
251,424
30,627
39,698
-
-
397,773
280,221
180,241
251,424
5,100,914
6,538,436
7,081,266
7,280,336
Trade and other payables
Provisions
Total Liabilities
Net Assets
Page 38
Financial information is from July 2010 to June 2011
Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
QUEENSLAND
Income Statement Comparatives
Account
2011
2010
2009
2008
217,966
216,083
177,344
32,849
Bequests
84,394
345,000
63,000
126,370
Other donations
74,647
157,272
307,783
303,268
Sylvia and Charles Viertel
Foundation
1,695,000
1,660,000
1,640,000
1,645,000
Interest and other income
732,151
599,880
559,763
404,775
2,804,158
2,978,235
2,747,890
2,512,262
109,183
170,302
168,238
93,263
2,148,228
1,740,878
1,444,540
1,122,791
Labour & mail out costs
440,482
302,502
257,356
187,190
Depreciation of research equipment
422,301
429,109
391,425
338,026
Professional fees
123,410
111,065
37,360
32,720
Occupancy cost
445,163
311,730
215,866
216,804
Labour5
288,936
215,080
173,843
126,000
98,758
77,853
76,075
45,578
165,219
162,546
182,257
169,597
4,241,680
3,521,065
2,946,960
2,331,969
(1,437,522)
(542,830)
(199,070)
180,293
Income
Proceeds from appeals
Total income
Expenses
Research cost1
Labour cost
2
3
4
Communication costs
Other general expenses
Total expenses
Net opening Income
1
Contract labour and equipment
2
Research, teaching, clinical and support
3
Fundraising
4
Includes lease of laboratory and clinics
5
Administration
Page 39
Financial information is from July 2010 to June 2011
Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
QUEENSLAND
Cash Flow Comparatives
Account
2011
2010
2009
2008
Cash flow from operating
activities
Receipts from supporters and
donors
2,583,596
2,802,127
2,523,081
2,288,879
(3,712,874)
(3,089,073)
(2,656,528)
(1,830,856)
170,709
195,192
260,742
219,805
(21)
(19)
(63)
-
(958,590)
(91,773)
127,232
677,828
(198,859)
(167,190)
(336,295)
(324,489)
Acquisition of investments
-
-
-
Proceeds from disposal of
investments
-
-
1,038,902
Payment for other non-current
assets
-
(53,210)
(8,356)
(10,656)
-
-
-
(209,515)
(167,190)
(389,505)
706,057
(1,168,105)
(258,963)
(262,273)
1,383,885
Cash at the beginning of the year
4,077,265
4,336,228
4,598,501
3,214,616
Cash at the end of financial year
2,909,160
4,077,265
4,336,228
4,598,501
Payments to suppliers and
employees
Interest received
Finance Costs
Net cash from operating activities
Cash from Investing activities
Acquistion of equipment & fittings
Acquistion of intangible assets
Net cash from investing activities
Net increase/(decrease) in cash held
Page 40
Financial information is from July 2010 to June 2011
Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
Assets
$8,000,000
$7,000,000
$6,000,000
Property, Plant & Equipment
$5,000,000
Trade Receivables & Other Assets
$4,000,000
Cash & Cash Equivalents
$3,000,000
$2,000,000
$1,000000
$
2011
2010
2009
Income Souces
2011
8%
26%
3%
3%
Proceeds from appeals
Bequests
Other donations
Sylvia and Charles Viertel Foundation
Interest and other income
60%
2010
7%
20%
Proceeds from appeals
12%
5%
Bequests
Other donations
Sylvia and Charles Viertel Foundation
Interest and other income
56%
2009
6%
20%
2%
11%
Proceeds from appeals
Bequests
Other donations
Sylvia and Charles Viertel Foundation
Interest and other income
61%
Page 41
Financial information is from July 2010 to June 2011
QUEENSLAND
Prevent Blindness Foundation
Queensland Eye Institute
Costs for Research, Education and Clinical Activities
$2,500,000
$2,148,228
$2,000,000
$1,740,878
$1,444,540
$1,500,000
$1,000,000
$500,000
$
2011
2010
2009
Labour Cost (research, education, clinical and support)
Administrative Wages as a Proportion of Total Expenses
7%
6%
2011
2010
5%
2008
Page 42
6%
2009
5%
Financial information is from July 2010 to June 2011
2007
QUEENSLAND
QUEENSLAND