Clinician-scientist Professor Lauren Ayton AM has been named a Member of the Order of Australia as part of the 2025 Australia Day Honours List.
The award recognises her “significant service to optometry, ophthalmology, and public health as a clinician and researcher”.
Prof Ayton, a researcher at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), was honoured and humbled, according to a statement.
“Research is a huge team effort, and this award is a credit to the efforts of the many teams I work with to raise the profile of eye health and find new ways to stop vision loss,” she said.
On Linkedin, she added: “And a huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to text, message, call and/or give me a big hug on this news. My favourite moment has been watching my kids and their friends excitedly read about it in the paper.”
Prof Ayton currently holds dual appointments at CERA and the University of Melbourne, and her current research focuses on inherited retinal diseases – the leading cause of blindness in working-aged adults.
At CERA she co-leads the Retinal Gene Therapy Unit and VENTURE inherited retinal diseases registry, alongside Dr Tom Edwards.
As well as pioneering clinical trials for gene therapy, her work connects families who have a history of genetic vision loss with clinical trials for new treatments as they emerge.
She is an advocate for the low vision community and holds a number of leadership positions, including on the board of UsherKids Australia, the scientific and medical advisory committee of Retina Australia, and the board of the Australian College of Optometry.
“I had a brother who was blind due to a brain injury, so efforts to restore vision are both deeply important and personal to me,” Prof Ayton said.
She noted the advances in gene therapy and new treatments beginning to enter clinical trials, offering hope to people who otherwise faced irreversible vision loss.
“It is such an exciting time to be researching eye diseases, especially inherited retinal diseases.
“There is a wave of treatments on the horizon that will soon be entering clinical trials – I’m excited to be a small part of the clever and passionate teams helping lead this work.”
CERA deputy director Professor Robyn Guymer AM congratulated Prof Ayton on the award.
“We’re thrilled to see Professor Ayton recognised in this year’s Australia Day honours.
“She has worked tirelessly to help those with poor vision in the community, especially those with inherited retinal disease.
“We all offer our hearty congratulations.”
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