What we do

National Eye Research Centre fund eye research teams across the UK to find the causes of eye disease to develop new prevention methods and more effective treatments.

We help find new and better treatments for all eye diseases in both children and adults.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, we have been able to invest over £17 million in research projects that are bringing scientists ever closer to answering some of the most fundamental questions about eye health and eye disease.

So, why is eye research so important?

Watch this short video where Professor Andrew Dick, Consultant Ophthalmologist, Bristol Eye Hospital explains how eye research is vital to beating sight loss:

Together, we can beat sight loss forever

By supporting eye research, you can help to eradicate sight loss for good. For over 30 years, that is what we have done. With your help, we can do even more, and we can get results faster. Please make a donation today.

DonatE

National Eye Research Centre is proud to be a member of the Association of Medical research charities (AMRC) and abides by the association's principles of best practice at all times.

AMRC peer review logo

National Eye Research Centre is also registered with the Fundraising Regulator. We promise our supporters that we will never:

We will NEVER sell or swap your personal details
You can change how you hear from us at any time
We abide by a strict code of conduct for best practice in our fundraising
Your privacy is important to us - read our privacy policy.

Fundraising Regulator logo

Please donate today to help researchers develop new prevention methods and more effective treatments. Together, we can beat sight loss forever.

Donate

Latest

Myopia

Myopia, or short-sightedness, causes your vision in the distance to be blurry, but your vision up close remains clear. About half of the UK population are now short-sighted, and it is becoming increasingly common throughout the world.
Corneal transplant

A cornea transplant replaces diseased corneal tissue with a disc of healthy tissue from a donor. There are different types of corneal transplant, the procedure chosen depends on which part of the cornea is damaged or how much of the cornea needs replacing.
Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy

Leber's Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON) is an inherited form of vision loss, characterised by rapid, painless vision loss in both eyes. It usually occurs in a person’s teens or twenties, but, in rare cases, it may appear in early childhood or later in adulthood.
Fuchs Dystrophy

Fuchs Dystrophy causes gradual loss of vision and is a common, age-related disease, that is usually inherited. It is characterised by corneal endothelial cell death, leading to swelling of the cornea. It is estimated to affect more than 4% of people over 40 years of age.

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 Dystrophy

Corneal dystrophy is a collective term that refers to several conditions that cause damage to the cornea. 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.
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
What we do

National Eye Research Centre is a leading eye research charity that funds eye research teams across the UK to find the causes of eye disease to develop new prevention methods and more effective treatments. We fund research for eye diseases in both adults and children.