How AVR’s Support is Transforming Eye Care

Dr Christolyn Raj

Dr. Christolyn Raj, a Melbourne-based general ophthalmologist, shares her journey in ophthalmology and highlights the transformative impact of Australian Vision Research (AVR) on eye care. She discusses the evolution of treatments like eye injections for common disorders, including macular degeneration, and emphasises how research funded by AVR has revolutionised patient management. Dr. Raj reflects on her training, which coincided with groundbreaking developments in ophthalmology, and explains how AVR’s financial support has been critical in advancing these innovations. She encourages viewers to consider supporting AVR’s ongoing efforts to improve eye care globally, noting that the organisation’s work is a gift that continues to benefit patients and families. By contributing to this cause, individuals can make a significant, lasting impact on the lives of those affected by chronic eye diseases.

Video Transcript

My name is Dr. Christolyn Raj, I am a general ophthalmologist who is located in Melbourne,  and I work in both the private and the public sector.

(How has Australian Vision Research advanced ophthalmology?)

So even way back in my training, it was really research and the funding of research which changed how we managed patients and for me, my training -would be 15 years ago now- it was really about the evolution of using eye injections. so intravitreal injections for common disorders like macular degeneration.

I was really lucky to be in the group of trainees that thought this was just commonplace whereas only five years ago it wasn’t. It was up and coming research; and it was AVR that helped fund these projects, both individual as well as the collaborative ones that we did through the nation and internationally, and in in doing the funding, they sort of offered bursaries to be able to go out there and and experience what this would do to communities, but then also doing the hard yards with putting backing for the researcher that meant that we could have this as a day-to-day practice.


So without this research, without the support that AVR gave, this would be very differently managed now and this is something that now we take a granted. So it’s really AVR that has helped kind of push all of these things through that is now the gold standard of how we look after our patients.

(What is your message to AVR supporters and stakeholders?)

So I think one of the things with ophthalmology is that it’s not as well known and it doesn’t get that much attention in the media as cancer research on kids cancer particularly. 
And I think that that is that probably a flaw on myself and my colleagues because we need to sort of speak to the general public about the fact that if we actually have a more funding now, we can make the lasting impact in a very short amount of time; in about five years or 10 years, which is a very short amount of time, in terms of medical research.

And I think the thing that is really important is that when you think about where you could sponsor or put forward some donations, don’t think that far, just think of your family group or your friendship group and think about old grandparents and old people that are affected by chronic disease, and if you think “well, how can I help those people”, most of the time eye disease is probably the more profound thing that you can help with. because they’re all be affected by it. 
And if you see how common it is that it’s more likely that we can do quite a lot because we’re going to be able to look to get great benefit to reach a large amount of patients. So I think that’s my message: that time is money, and we hear that a lot in terms of research, but particularly we want our work to be sight saving and we need that to be done in a timeline fashion. So we need that funding to be done now in order to see those fixed straight away tomorrow. 


(How leaving a bequest in a will can help Australian Vision Research?)

So one of the most beautiful things about bequests is that it’s the gift that keeps on giving AVR is is such a profound organisation that will be able to use that towards doing so much good for other patients that also being afflicted by conditions but also we know that that money is going to go to the right place and it’s going to continually help lots of different projects. It’s not just going to be in one spot. 


So it really is a gift that keeps on giving. Iit would also show quite a lot of respect and reward for that person and that family who who’s thinking about doing that because it is such an amazing thing to help somebody with sight and restoring sight.