Queensland Eye Institute

15/04/2026

A new research partnership between the Queensland Eye Institute and the University of Queensland aims to improve stem cell preservation for use in therapies treating eye disease.
Stem cells found in human body fat (adipose tissue) show potential for treating corneal diseases and injuries, retinal degenerative diseases, glaucoma and optic nerve injury.
Learn more about the new research project here ⬇️

A new research partnership between the Queensland Eye Institute (QEI) and the University of Queensland (UQ) aims to improve stem cell preservation for use in therapies treating eye disease.

08/04/2026

Receptionists in ophthalmology clinics are vital to patient care, and a new publication by QEI’s Dr Brendan Cronin and Dr Rebecca Cox aims to make their job a little easier.

This digital handbook offers practical tips for medical receptionists, definitions of important terms and a user-friendly explanation of eye conditions and treatments.

“Ophthalmology clinics offer unique challenges to reception staff,” Dr Cronin says. “There’s a huge number of potential diseases in the eye, so working in an ophthalmology clinic is like working for multiple different types of surgeons.”

Learn more ⬇️

The Introduction to Ophthalmology for Medical Receptionists is handy guide to support all staff working in an ophthalmology practice.

02/04/2026

Celebrating a rare honour 🙌

The Southern African Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery (SASCRS) invited QEI’s Dr David Gunn to deliver the Cornea SA Keynote Lecture at its biennial congress recently.

Dr Gunn presented on Corneal Allogenic Intrastromal Ring Segments (CAIRS) in treating keratoconus.

The Society says guest speakers invited to deliver this named lecture are internationally recognized authorities on corneal and external disease and regarded as pioneers who challenge conventional thinking. ‘Speakers will be held in high regard by their peers; to such an extent that all of us would be poorer had it not been for their significant contribution to the field’.

Congratulations David on another career highlight.

31/03/2026

Australia’s medical research institutes are delivering real returns for the economy and the health system. A new independent report by the Association of Australian Medical Research Institutes (AAMRI), shows:
• $3.90 returned for every $1 invested
• $4.07 billion in annual economic benefit
• $5.80 returned for every $1 invested in clinical trials
Medical research institutes play a central role in Australia’s health system and research pipeline, supporting clinical trials, translation, commercialisation and highly skilled jobs.
The challenge is that the current funding model does not cover the full cost of research, placing long-term sustainability at risk. Read more: www.aamri.org.au/2026-ROI-Report

30/03/2026

Fun fact for Easter 🐰

Dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, particularly flavonoids, which can help protect against age-related eye diseases such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. These antioxidants combat oxidative stress, which is a significant factor in the deterioration of eye health.

Just FYI 😊

27/03/2026

Professor Mark Radford continues to lend his expertise to combat vision loss in low-resource communities, co-convening the recent RANZCO Equity in Action conference in Hobart. A joint initiative of the RANZCO Global Eye Health Committee and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, the conference focused on affordability, sustainability and equity in eye health.

📸 Prof Mark Radford - conference opening
📸 Prof Radford (right) with Drs Jeff Ayton and Jennifer Ayton.
📸 Prof Radford (third from right) with colleagues from the LV Prasad Eye Institute, Oeu Lions Eye Hospital, Aravind Eye Care System and Samoa
📸 Professor Mark Radford, Jennifer Doggett, Dr Kristin Bell, Professor Nitin Verma and Gerhardt Schlenther

21/03/2026

Drs Brendan Cronin, David Gunn and Lee Holland have invested in the latest laser technology to treat keratoconus and corneal disease at the South Brisbane Day Hospital. The QEI ophthalmologists are the first in Australia and only the second group worldwide to adopt the new technology.
Read how this and other new advances are supporting more personalised care for keratoconus sufferers.

By adopting cutting-edge technology and providing data-driven, personalised care, QEI ophthalmologists are setting the standard for clinical excellence in Australia. Latest laser technology Drs Brendan Cronin, David Gunn and Lee Holland have invested in the latest laser technology to treat keratocon...

20/03/2026

🙌It’s here!

QEI scientists are grateful to finally have a new microplate reader in the room. It may not look like much, but this expensive equipment allows them to run more experiments and run them more efficiently. Generous donors contributed nearly $15,000 to the microplate reader purchase, with remaining funds coming from a special purpose grant from the Queensland Government’s Gambling Community Benefit Fund.

The new equipment will ensure current research programs can progress faster and more efficiently and potentially open opportunities for new areas of research, leading to better treatments and cures for Queenslanders facing vision loss and blindness.

Thank you for your support 🙏

📸Professor Mark Radford, Professor Traian Chirila and Dr Shuko Suzuki

05/03/2026

🙌 Shout out to our generous patients 🙏

Education is part of what sets QEI apart. Every year, our ophthalmologists spend many hours preparing and delivering talks to students and ophthalmology trainees. They also welcome students into their consulting sessions, investing time and expertise to develop the next generation of eye care specialists. They couldn’t do this without your support.

This story is for everyone who’s said ‘yes’ when asked if a student could take part in their patient journey at QEI.

➡️ https://qei.org.au/news/optometrists-learning-at-qei/

13/02/2026

👏 Celebrating this award 🙌

Professor Mark Radford has been honoured with an award for 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 from the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology. The Academy delivered the award at its recent congress in Hong Kong, marking another career highlight for QEIF’s Executive Director and CEO. The Award recognises Professor Radford’s ongoing commitment to collaborative research and his drive to strengthen clinical capacity in the region, particularly in low-resourced communities through RANZCO’s Global Eye Health programs.

In another nod to Queensland’s strength in the sector, Professor Timothy Sullivan, who is active in clinical research and an honorary clinical scientist at QEI, received a Senior Achievement Award from the Academy.

📸 Professor Mark Radford (left) with Professor Tim Sullivan

06/02/2026

Early career optometrists were treated to an education event run by QEI sub specialists this week. The audience deepened its knowledge of retinal diseases and treatments through presentations by Associate Professors Tony Kwan and Abhisek Sharma and Doctors Angela Richards and Alex Newman, in the elegant surrounds of Supernormal restaurant.

Dr Newman joined the QEI clinical team recently and has hit the ground running. Read more about his clinical subspecialties and research interests here https://qei.org.au/ophthalmologists/dr-alexander-newman/

05/02/2026

The Queensland Eye Institute welcomes Dr Alexander Newman as a consultant ophthalmologist and eye surgeon specialising in cataract, macular disease, retinal disease and ophthalmic laser.
In addition to extensive clinical training in Brisbane and Sydney, Dr Newman recently completed a clinical research fellowship in medical retina and uveitis at the Save Sight Institute. With his broad clinical experience and demonstrated commitment to research and clinical trials, Dr Newman is a welcome addition to the QEI faculty.
Read more about Dr Newman’s extensive clinical and research interests at this link:

https://qei.org.au/ophthalmologists/dr-alexander-newman/