Lions Eye Institute
Encyclopedia
The Lions Eye Institute (LEI) in Perth, Western Australia
, is the largest eye research institute in the southern hemisphere. It is a limited liability
company, with not-for-profit
and tax-exempt
gift recipient status, overseen by a Board of Directors
. Established by the Lions Club, it has been affiliated with the University of Western Australia
, since its inception in 1975, and has been chaired by David Eiszle since 2005.
at the University of Western Australia. The appointed chairman was Professor Ian Constable. Under his leadership, the Institute has grown to become one of the most important medical research institutions in Australia, and the Southern Hemisphere
. Nowadays, the LEI employs 150 scientists, clinicians and support staff, from over 30 nationalitites, making it one of the largest ophthalmic practices in Australia
. Over 40,000 patients, from within Australia and the Asia Pacific, access LEI’s day surgery and clinic services, and nearly 3,000 major eye operations are performed each year. The institute also houses the Lions Eye Bank and the LSSF.
Most of the institute's funding
comes from peer reviewed research grants
from organizations, such as the National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Medical and Health Research Infrastructure Fund (MHRIF). Moreover, an important part of LEI's funds come from individual benefactors and members of the Lions Club.
al services, the institute provides: LASIK
surgery at the Lions Laser Vision Center; cataract
micro-surgery and lens implantation; plastic surgery
of the eyelids including blepharoplasty, ptosis repairs, pterygia, conjunctival grafts and corneal grafts at the Day Surgery Center; and full Optometric Service at Lions Optics. The Lions Eye Bank is responsible for collecting, processing and distributing corneal and scleral tissue throughout Western Australia. To date it has provided tissue for over 3,000 corneal transplants.
, retinal
degenerations, corneal, and immune
-based diseases.
More than 70 scientists at LEI use a range of technologies to develop treatments for blinding diseases, including gene therapy
and telemedicine
. LEI has several major international collaborations and partnerships with a wide range of Australian and international institutions, and collaborates with industry in joint research and development projects. Among the international institutions that the LEI has been actively collaborating with are American Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Shanghai University, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, University of Missouri and the National Eye Institute (USA).
Groundbreaking research done by the Lions Eye Institute's research teams has led to the development of the first retinal vein bypass treatment for retinal vein blockages, and the development of the first transgenic mouse model for Age-Related Macular Degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in those aged over 55. With this model, they expect research to accelerate into the development of ARMD that may lead to an effective treatment of this disease. At LEI, the world’s first artificial cornea
was developed and implanted into a human eye. This artificial cornea was named AlphaCor, and the institute currently owns its patent rights.
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, is the largest eye research institute in the southern hemisphere. It is a limited liability
Limited liability
Limited liability is a concept where by a person's financial liability is limited to a fixed sum, most commonly the value of a person's investment in a company or partnership with limited liability. If a company with limited liability is sued, then the plaintiffs are suing the company, not its...
company, with not-for-profit
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
and tax-exempt
Tax exemption
Various tax systems grant a tax exemption to certain organizations, persons, income, property or other items taxable under the system. Tax exemption may also refer to a personal allowance or specific monetary exemption which may be claimed by an individual to reduce taxable income under some...
gift recipient status, overseen by a Board of Directors
Board of directors
A board of directors is a body of elected or appointed members who jointly oversee the activities of a company or organization. Other names include board of governors, board of managers, board of regents, board of trustees, and board of visitors...
. Established by the Lions Club, it has been affiliated with the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
, since its inception in 1975, and has been chaired by David Eiszle since 2005.
Overview
The Lions Eye Institute was founded in 1975, right after the Lions Save Sight Foundation (LSSF) established the Lions Chair in OphthalmologyOphthalmology
Ophthalmology is the branch of medicine that deals with the anatomy, physiology and diseases of the eye. An ophthalmologist is a specialist in medical and surgical eye problems...
at the University of Western Australia. The appointed chairman was Professor Ian Constable. Under his leadership, the Institute has grown to become one of the most important medical research institutions in Australia, and the Southern Hemisphere
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
. Nowadays, the LEI employs 150 scientists, clinicians and support staff, from over 30 nationalitites, making it one of the largest ophthalmic practices in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Over 40,000 patients, from within Australia and the Asia Pacific, access LEI’s day surgery and clinic services, and nearly 3,000 major eye operations are performed each year. The institute also houses the Lions Eye Bank and the LSSF.
Most of the institute's funding
Funding
Funding is the act of providing resources, usually in form of money , or other values such as effort or time , for a project, a person, a business or any other private or public institutions...
comes from peer reviewed research grants
Grant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
from organizations, such as the National Health and Medical Research Council, and the Medical and Health Research Infrastructure Fund (MHRIF). Moreover, an important part of LEI's funds come from individual benefactors and members of the Lions Club.
Services
Besides providing regular clinicClinic
A clinic is a health care facility that is primarily devoted to the care of outpatients...
al services, the institute provides: LASIK
LASIK
LASIK or Lasik , commonly referred to simply as laser eye surgery, is a type of refractive surgery for correcting myopia, hyperopia, and astigmatism...
surgery at the Lions Laser Vision Center; cataract
Cataract
A cataract is a clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its envelope, varying in degree from slight to complete opacity and obstructing the passage of light...
micro-surgery and lens implantation; plastic surgery
Plastic surgery
Plastic surgery is a medical specialty concerned with the correction or restoration of form and function. Though cosmetic or aesthetic surgery is the best-known kind of plastic surgery, most plastic surgery is not cosmetic: plastic surgery includes many types of reconstructive surgery, hand...
of the eyelids including blepharoplasty, ptosis repairs, pterygia, conjunctival grafts and corneal grafts at the Day Surgery Center; and full Optometric Service at Lions Optics. The Lions Eye Bank is responsible for collecting, processing and distributing corneal and scleral tissue throughout Western Australia. To date it has provided tissue for over 3,000 corneal transplants.
Research activities
LEI's laboratory-based and clinical research teams investigate all major untreated causes of blindness including cataracts, diabetes related eye disease, glaucomaGlaucoma
Glaucoma is an eye disorder in which the optic nerve suffers damage, permanently damaging vision in the affected eye and progressing to complete blindness if untreated. It is often, but not always, associated with increased pressure of the fluid in the eye...
, retinal
Retinal
Retinal, also called retinaldehyde or vitamin A aldehyde, is one of the many forms of vitamin A . Retinal is a polyene chromophore, and bound to proteins called opsins, is the chemical basis of animal vision...
degenerations, corneal, and immune
Immune system
An immune system is a system of biological structures and processes within an organism that protects against disease by identifying and killing pathogens and tumor cells. It detects a wide variety of agents, from viruses to parasitic worms, and needs to distinguish them from the organism's own...
-based diseases.
More than 70 scientists at LEI use a range of technologies to develop treatments for blinding diseases, including gene therapy
Gene therapy
Gene therapy is the insertion, alteration, or removal of genes within an individual's cells and biological tissues to treat disease. It is a technique for correcting defective genes that are responsible for disease development...
and telemedicine
Telemedicine
Telemedicine is the use of telecommunication and information technologies in order to provide clinical health care at a distance. It helps eliminate distance barriers and can improve access to medical services that would often not be consistently available in distant rural communities...
. LEI has several major international collaborations and partnerships with a wide range of Australian and international institutions, and collaborates with industry in joint research and development projects. Among the international institutions that the LEI has been actively collaborating with are American Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, Shanghai University, Swedish University of Agricultural Science, University of Missouri and the National Eye Institute (USA).
Groundbreaking research done by the Lions Eye Institute's research teams has led to the development of the first retinal vein bypass treatment for retinal vein blockages, and the development of the first transgenic mouse model for Age-Related Macular Degeneration, which is the leading cause of blindness in those aged over 55. With this model, they expect research to accelerate into the development of ARMD that may lead to an effective treatment of this disease. At LEI, the world’s first artificial cornea
Keratoprosthesis
Keratoprosthesis is a surgical procedure where a severely damaged or diseased cornea is replaced with an artificial cornea. While conventional cornea transplant uses donor tissue for transplant, an artificial cornea is used in the Keratoprosthesis procedure...
was developed and implanted into a human eye. This artificial cornea was named AlphaCor, and the institute currently owns its patent rights.
Ophthalmologists
- Professor Ian Constable AO
- Sub-specialties: Vitreoretinal Surgery, Retinal Vascular Disease, Diabetic Retinopathy, Macular Degeneration
- Ian Constable is the Advisory Committee Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology which serves 56 per cent of the world population and a greater percentage of the world blind.
- Professor Graham Barrett
- Sub-specialties: Cataract surgery, keratorefractive surgery, corneal and anterior segment disorders
- Graham Barrett is the first Australian ophthalmologist to win, in one year, the prestigious Binkhorst, Ridley, Susruta and Choyce Awards.
- Professor Geoffrey Crawford
- Sub-specialties: Corneal disorders and surgery, Keratorefractive Disorders, Ocular Plastic, Orbital Surgery
- Geoff Crawford was instrumental in the development of the Alphacor and the first surgeon to perform LASIK in Western Australia.
- Winthrop Professor David Mackey
- Sub-specialties: Hereditary and genetic eye diseases
- David Mackey sees patients for second opinions on rare genetic eye diseases and more common genetic eye diseases involving new genetic research.
- Professor Ian McAllister
- Sub-specialties: Vitreoretinal Surgery, Retinal Vascular Disease, Diabetic Retinopathy, Macular Degeneration, Ocular Trauma
- Ian McAllister has pioneered a novel surgical bypass technique for treatment of retinal vascular occlusive disease.
- Professor William Morgan
- Sub-specialties: Glaucoma
- Bill Morgan is establishing Western Australia's first population health data base in glaucoma.
- Associate Professor Mei-Ling Tay Kearney
- Sub-specialties: Opportunistic infections of the eye, Uveitis and Inflammatory disorders of the eye
- Mei-Ling Tay Kearney delivers workplace safety education to companies in north-west Western Australia.
- Associate Professor Steven Wiffen
- Sub-specialties: Corneal surface disorders, Corneal surgery, Anterior Segment disorders and surgery, Keratorefractive surgery.
- Dr Wiffen is the Chair for Eyebanks Australia and New Zealand.
- Dr Antonio Giubilato
- Sub-specialty: Glaucoma
- Tony Giubilato is the coordinator for Medical Student Teaching for Ophthalmology in Western Australia.
- Dr Tim Isaacs
- Sub specialties: Vitreoretinal Specialist, Surgery, Diabetic Retinopathy, Macular Degeneration, Retinal Vascular Disease
- Tim Isaacs has studied active Chlamydia infection rates in aboriginal children in the remote Kimberley region of Western Australia.
- Dr Adam Gadatsy
- Sub specialties: Oculoplastic and cosmetic eye surgery
- Adam Gadatsy is currently researching novel methods of eyelid reconstruction and tear drainage following chemotherapy for breast cancer.
- Dr Jean-Louis deSousa
- Sub specialties: Oculoplastics, orbital and lacrimal surgery, cosmetic eyelid surgery
- Jean-Louis deSousa is the WA representative for continuing professional development and a basic sciences examiner for RANZCO.
- Dr Fred Chen
- Sub specialties: Vitreoretinal Surgery, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy
- Fred Chen is currently continuing his research interest in stem cells and other novel treatments for the various types of macular degeneration at the Lions Eye Institute..
Research Groups at LEI
- Molecular ophthalmology
- Director: Professor E. Piroska Rakoczy.
- Piroska Rakoczy was the first in Australia to apply molecular biological techniques in ophthalmic research. Prof. Rakoczy's group has developed gene therapy treatments for reversal of blinding retinal dystrophy in Briard dogs – the first large animal genetic blindness to be cured, and the first transgenic mouse model for ARMD.
- Physiology and pharmacology
- Director: Professor Dao-Yi Yu, MD PhD,
- Dao-Yi Yu heads up a major NHMRC Centre Grant dedicated to retinal physiology, mechanisms of disease and glaucoma. His research team has created the world’s first dissoluble glaucoma tube for microsurgery.
- Experimental immunology program
- Director: Dr Mariapia Degli-Esposti, PhD
- Mariapia Degli-Esposti's research aims to define interactions that occur between viral pathogens and host immune effectors to determine how these interactions affect anti-viral immunity.
- Dr Degli-Esposti recently published a definitive review of the interactions between immune cells in the prestigious Nature Reviews Immunology magazine.
- Genetics/Population Health
- Director: Professor David Mackey
- Professor Mackey is the world's leading researcher in glaucoma genetics. His other major areas of interest include optic atrophy, congenital cataract, retinal detachment, strabismus and ptosis
- Clinical research
- The Western Australian (WA) Lions Eye Institute is acknowledged as a core academic centre suitable for substantial participation in global clinical trials of new pharmaceutical therapies and surgical procedures not yet approved by governments.