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.

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.

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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.

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

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

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Latest

Funding Programmes open to applications

Seed grants deadline: 31st August

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

Professor Marcela Votruba at Cardiff University is looking for sustained release formulations for new drugs to treat mitochondrial optic neuropathies
Determining the relationship between insulin and myopia

Dr Denise Atan at University of Bristol is investigating the association between insulin signalling and short-sightedness, with the potential for a novel treatment option.
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.

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.