UNSW Sydney has established the Shirley and John Sarks Chair in Age-related Macular Degeneration after receiving a $10.8 million philanthropic commitment from the Sarks Macular Degeneration Research Foundation.
A media release from the university said the position would strengthen Australia’s capacity to address age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and other blinding eye diseases.
It said the new chair would advance ophthalmology and vision science excellence.
The role will be filled through an international recruitment process, attracting a world-leading researcher or physician-researcher to UNSW’s Faculty of Medicine & Health.
AMD is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss in developed countries. In Australia, around one in seven people over the age of 50 have signs of the condition, with more than 1.5 million Australians affected — a number expected to grow as the population ages. AMD leads to progressive loss of central vision, making everyday activities such as reading, driving and recognising faces increasingly difficult.
UNSW Sydney vice-chancellor and president Professor Attila Brungs said the gift would have a profound and lasting impact on eye and vision research.
“This visionary gift reflects an extraordinary commitment to advancing medical research that drives real progress for all and a profound and lasting impact,” Prof Brungs said.
“The Shirley and John Sarks Chair in Age-related Macular Degeneration will support UNSW researchers at the forefront of global efforts to better understand, prevent and treat macular degeneration.”
Dr John Sarks AM, now 94, is internationally recognised as a pioneer in ophthalmology and retinal research, whose work has helped shape modern understanding of macular degeneration.
Together with his late wife and long-time research partner, Dr Shirley Sarks AM, he spent decades studying the disease.
He said the donation was the culmination of his and his wife’s lifetime dedication to improving sight. The establishment of the chair also ensured that innovation in the field would continue well into the future.
“Macular degeneration remains a major challenge, and there is still much to learn,” Dr Sarks said.
“My hope is that this chair will support researchers to keep asking difficult questions and to continue pushing towards better treatments and outcomes for patients.”
The news release said that, as part of their lifelong work, Drs Shirley and John Sarks collected hundreds of samples of human eye tissue to better understand the progression of the disease. The collection includes detailed clinical histories and is regarded as one of the most comprehensive and valuable resources of its kind in the world.
UNSW Dean of Medicine & Health Professor Cheryl Jones said the establishment of the chair offered new hope for the millions of people burdened with sight-related disease, and continued the legacy of the Sarks’ collaborative approach to careful observation, persistence and research.
“The Shirley and John Sarks Chair in Age-related Macular Degeneration will enable UNSW to attract a world-leading expert in a highly specialised and competitive field, strengthening our progress in tackling this debilitating disease,” Prof Jones said.
