The Importance of Eye Research

Two million people in the UK are currently living with a significant degree of sight loss and that number is rising dramatically. Every day in the UK, 250 people are told that they are losing their sight. That’s one person every six minutes.

At the current level of funding, the number of people living with sight loss in the UK is set to double to 4 million by 2050. Only through greater investment in eye research will we find the new and improved treatments we need to beat sight loss forever. Yet, currently, less than 2% of all UK medical research funding is directed at eye disease

The likelihood of attracting transformative levels of eye research funding from government and large philanthropic grant makers will be directly proportional to the quantity and quality of research results the sector as a whole is able to produce. Our focus will continue to be on providing grants for early stage scientific research and, in doing so, to act as a catalyst for advancing knowledge and progress in the discovery of new treatments and prevention options.

Together, we can beat sight loss forever. Please help by making a donation today.

Donate here

This short video explains how your donations to National Eye Research Centre are vital to finding new treatments for sight loss:

Current research funded by National Eye Research Centre

Here are just some of the research projects we are currently funding that are making a difference to patients with eye diseases:

Identifying risk factors for retinal detachment - Dr Veronique Vitart, University of Edinburgh

Environmental triggers for AMD development - Professor Glen Jeffery, UCL

Understanding molecular disease pathways in uveitis - Dr David Copland, University of Bristol

Brain stimulation for Charles Bonnet Syndrome sufferers- Dr John Paul Taylor, Newcastle University

Please help us to continue to fund future research projects to help cure sight loss. As a donor, you are just as critical a part of the research team as the researchers themselves.

Together, we can beat sight loss forever. Please help by making a donation today.

Donate here

Latest

Seeing again after a Corneal Transplant

Margaret Hancock’s story illustrates why more funding is needed to bring about breakthrough eye treatments which can enhance the eye health of the nation.
Funding Programmes open to applications

Seed grants deadline: 30th November

First Stage major grants and PhD studentships deadline: 31st October
New drugs to treat mitochondrial optic neuropathies

A further study by Professor Marcela Votruba at Cardiff University is looking for sustained release formulations for new drugs to treat mitochondrial optic neuropathies
Identifying risk factors for retinal detachment

Dr Veronique Vitart at the University of Edinburgh is looking to identify genetic mutations that increase risk factors of retinal detachment.

Funding Programmes open to applications

Seed grants deadline: 30th November

First Stage major grants and PhD studentships deadline: 31st October
Living with the nightmare that is Charles Bonnet Syndrome

Dr Amit Patel lost his sight very quickly and now lives with hallucinations caused by CBS.

Glaucoma

Glaucoma is the most common cause of sight loss amongst those of working age. Pressure is raised in the eye which damages the optic nerve and increasingly causes sight loss. New treatments, including improved eye drops and surgical techniques to reduce this pressure in the eye are being researched.
Age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a painless eye condition that leads to the gradual loss of central vision. Around 600,000 people in the UK currently have sight loss caused by AMD and around 70,000 new cases are diagnosed every year.
Cataracts

Cataracts occur when changes in the lens of the eye cause it to become less transparent. This results in cloudy or misty vision. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness globally but can be easily treated.
Uveitis

Uveitis is a leading cause of visual impairment in people of working age in the UK. It is an inflammation of the middle layer of the eye, called the uvea or uveal tract.
Dry Eye Syndrome

Dry eye syndrome, or dry eye disease, is a common condition that occurs when the eyes don't make enough tears, or the tears evaporate too quickly. This leads to the eyes drying out and becoming red, swollen and irritated. Dry eye syndrome is also known as keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
Corneal Disease

The cornea is the clear tissue at the front of the eye that lets in light and helps focus it on the retina so that we can see. Disease or injury can make the cornea cloudy or distorted in shape, causing a loss of vision. A cornea transplant replaces diseased corneal tissue with a disc of healthy tissue from a donor.
Retinitis pigmentosa

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is the name given to a group of inherited conditions of the retina that all lead to a gradual progressive reduction in vision.
Amblyopia

A lazy eye, also known as amblyopia, is a childhood condition that occurs when the vision in one eye does not develop properly.
Research Grants Funding
National Eye Health Week 2019

23 - 29 September 2019 is National Eye Health Week. The week will provide plenty of tips on protecting your eye health and how research is helping to combat blindness.