Four eye research projects have secured more than $8 million in funding in the 2025 National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Investigator Grants scheme, with two of those featuring in the top tier with more than $3 million allocated each.
Professor Robyn Guymer, Professor Marcello Rosa, Associate Professor Lisa Zhuoting Zhu and Dr Alexis Britten-Jones – all based at Melbourne institutions – will receive grants for their eye-related studies.
With the Federal Government providing $422 million for 229 “high-performing researchers” in this year’s round, the ophthalmic projects collectively account for $8.34 million.
Prof Guymer, deputy director and head of macular research at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), and Monash University’s Prof Rosa will each receive $3,014,025 for their work, the second-equal highest grant split across 32 projects.
Only one researcher received more than this, $4,370,512 for the control of endemic HTLV-1, a retrovirus similar to HIV, to prevent silent global spread.
Intervening earlier in AMD
Prof Guymer will use her funding to explore causes and cures in age-related macular degeneration (AMD), with a major focus on addressing the disease early, before vision is threatened.
“This research aims to identify new causative pathways leading to AMD as well as conduct two novel early interventions trials to prevent vision loss,” her application stated.
“This research will provide evidence for more feasible ways to conduct early intervention studies. With this new knowledge we will be closer to preventing vision loss from this prevalent and devastating disease.”
Profound blindness caused by stroke, trauma
Prof Rosa, who heads up the Rosa Laboratory within the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, will use her funding for a project entitled: ‘Pathways to vision following lesions of the primary visual cortex’.
She will explore how visual information can be channelled to non-damaged parts of the brain, in search of ways to restore vision following damage to an area called the primary visual cortex (V1).
“Vision depends not only on the eyes, but also on many brain areas. Without the latter the visual information cannot be decoded, and the person becomes blind even if the eyes are spared,” her application stated.
“For example, when V1 is damaged by stroke or trauma, a type of profound blindness ensues, for which there is no treatment.”
Eyes a window into vascular health
CERA had a second NHMRC recipient in A/Prof Zhuoting Zhu who will use $1,623,700 for the development and implementation of a retinal image-based deep learning system. It’s hoped this can provide precise cardiovascular risk assessment and personalised care.
“Cardiovascular disease (CVD), including heart disease and stroke, is responsible for one in four deaths. However, 80% of these deaths can be prevented through early detection and timely treatment,” she stated.
With the eyes offering a window into vascular health, her research aims to exploit an artificial intelligence model based on eye images “to provide precise and personalised management of CVD, ultimately reducing the risk of death and disability from this life-threatening condition”.
Paving the way for ophthalmic genetic medicine
Dr Alexis Britten-Jones, a clinician-researcher within the University of Melbourne’s Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, is seeking to “advance ocular genomics to propel breakthrough treatments for blindness”.
With her $688,405 NHMRC grant, she will focus on inherited retinal diseases (IRD) where an accurate genetic diagnosis is vital for accessing and developing new treatments.
“My program uses new genetic technologies to improve the diagnosis of IRDs and understand what factors affect disease presentation,” she said.
“I will also evaluate the value of genetics in managing IRDs. Together, my program will advance the diagnosis and treatment of early-onset blindness and pave the way for genetic medicine in eyecare.”
The Investigator Grant scheme is NHMRC’s largest funding scheme, which the government says plays a critical role in supporting the Australian health and medical research sector by providing a significant research support package and a salary, if required.
Full details of the researchers and projects funded are available to download on NHMRC’s outcomes of funding rounds page.
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