Fletcher laboratory: Visual neuroscience
-
Professor Erica Fletcher+61 3 8344 3218
Research Overview
View Professor Fletcher's latest publication listing here
The Visual Neuroscience laboratory is interested in:
- Why photoreceptors die during retinal degeneration, including retinitis pigmentosa (RP) and Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)
- The role of glia and microglia in retinal diseases such as Diabetic Retinopathy (DR)
- Ways of replacing lost photoreceptors or slowing photoreceptor death in inherited retinal degenerations
Diseases of the Retina that Cause Blindness
Retinal diseases are a major cause of blindness in the Western world. Few treatments are currently available, largely because the underlying mechanisms of disease are not well understood.
Our laboratory studies two broad classes of retinal disease:
1. Retinal degenerations, including Age-Related Macular degeneration
Retinal degenerations are a family of hereditary diseases that cause a gradual loss of photoreceptors leading to blindness. These diseases occur in around 1:5500 people, but 1:50 are carriers. We are examining the mechanisms of photoreceptor death and whether specific treatments ameliorate or slow the loss of photoreceptors. Understanding how photoreceptors die is of relevance to diseases such as Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), which is one of the leading causes of blindness especially in older people. Photoreceptor death and abnormal growth of blood vessels into the retina are major contributors to blindness in this disease. We use pre-clinical models to understand the underlying mechanisms involved and whether treatments slow the progression of disease. Our ultimate goal is to develop ways of slowing photoreceptor death and also to investigate ways of replacing lost photoreceptors.
2. Retinal vascular diseases, including Diabetic retinopathy
Diabetes affects 3.8% of the population of Australia, at an annual cost of AUS$1 billion dollars. Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication associated with diabetes and is the leading cause of blindness in those under 65 years of age. Some 10% of all diabetics experience vision threatening retinopathy. One of the major reasons for vision loss is the growth of new blood vessels in the retina (neovascularization). Although a great deal of attention has focussed on the vascular changes associated with diabetes, it is now emerging that changes in neuronal, glial and microglial cell function often occur prior to overt vascular abnormalities. Understanding the link between microglial, glial cell dysfunction and changes in vasculature is vital for gaining a better understanding of the pathogenesis of diabetic retinopathy. The major thrust of our work is understanding the changes in the retina that lead to neovascularization. We also examine whether novel treatments prevent or slow vision loss.
Staff
Dr Ursula Greferath, Senior Research Officer
Dr Kirstan Vessey, Senior Research Officer
Dr Andrew Jobling, Senior Research Officer
Dr Joanna Phipps, ARC DECRA Fellow
Dr Alice Brandli, ARC DECRA Fellow
Gene Venables, Research Assistant
Satya Gunnam, Research Assistant
Stefanie Dudczig, Research Assistant
Michael Dixon, PhD student
Anna Wang, PhD student
Quan Findlay, PhD student
Josephine Wong, PhD student
Vanco Hristov, PhD student
Pialuisa Quiriconi, Honours student
Collaborators
Professor Michael Kalloniatis, Centre for Eye Health and Dept. Optometry, UNSW
Professor Richard Kramer, Molecular & Cell Biology, UC Berkley
A/Professor Bang Bui, Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, University of Melbourne
A/Professor Botir Sagdullaev, Department of Ophthalmology, Burke Neurological Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine
Funding
National Health & Medical Research Council of Australia
Australian Research Council
Retina Australia
American Health Assistance Foundation
Commercial contracts
Research Opportunities
This research project is available to Masters by Research, Honours students, Master of Biomedical Science to join as part of their thesis.
Please contact the Research Group Leader to discuss your options.
Research Projects
- Factors that accelerate photoreceptor death: The role of purines
- Glial cells as a source of progenitor cells in degenerative disease
- The role of microglia in age-related macular degeneration
- The role of glial cells in retinal vascular disease
- The role of glia in inner retinal changes during retinal degeneration
Faculty Research Themes
School Research Themes
Biomedical Neuroscience, Cellular Imaging & Structural Biology, Molecular Mechanisms of Disease
Key Contact
For further information about this research, please contact Head of Laboratory Professor Erica Fletcher
Department / Centre
Unit / Centre
Fletcher laboratory: Visual neuroscience
MDHS Research library
Explore by researcher, school, project or topic.