Join UsherKids Australia as we update our community on the various Australian research projects currently working on treatments for retinitis pigmentosa and Usher syndrome.

150 Minutes

Fleur O’Hare, Research Manager at University of Melbourne and Centre for Eye Research Australia.
Fleur gives an update on research programs available to participants with retinitis pigmentosa. Specifically, she discusses a leading Australian clinical trial that is underway that involves people with Usher syndrome.

Dr Livia Carvalho, Assistant Professor at The University of Western Australia
Dr Carvalho talks about how gene replacement therapy technologies can help us in the development of a treatment targeting vision loss in Usher patients. She provides a simple overview of how the technology works and an update of her current work on Usher syndrome

Dr Anai Gonzalez-Cordero, Group Leader Stem Cell Medicine Children’s Medical Research Institute, Sydney
Dr. Gonzalez-Cordero explains her research journey aimed to develop cell therapy by transplantation of the light sensing cells of the retina. This therapy promises to be effective for a range of inherited retinal diseases, including Usher syndrome.

Professor Alex Hewitt, Principal Research Fellow Menzies Institute for Medical Research and School of Medicine at the University of Tasmania
Professor Hewitt explains the process of base-editing for Usher genes and the hope that different techniques are providing for our families.

Dr Fred Chen and Bronwyn Doak, Lion’s Eye Institute Ocular Tissue Engineering Laboratory; and parent of two young boys with Usher syndrome
Professor Chen and Bronwyn share their heart-warming story of the important role patients can play in advancing medical research in Australia through philanthropy.