Stem Cell Research and Predictive Technologies in Ophthalmology
Dr Grace Lidgerwood
Dr. Grace Lidgerwood, a research fellow at the University of Melbourne, shares her journey into ophthalmic research, which she describes as a fortunate accident. She explains her pivotal work at the Stem Cell Disease Modelling Unit, focusing on creating patient- derived stem cell models of retinal diseases. Dr. Lidgerwood emphasises the rapid advances in ophthalmology, particularly the application of artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive technologies for screening, diagnosis, and disease modelling. Throughout the discussion, Dr. Lidgerwood highlights the essential role of funding, particularly from Australian Vision Research (AVR), in driving innovation and supporting long-term projects. She expresses gratitude to donors who enable this vital research, and discusses the potential of bequests as sustainable funding solutions for groundbreaking research that will benefit future generations.
Video Transcript
I’m Dr. Lidgerwood, a research fellow in the stem cell disease modeling unit at the University of Melbourne.
(What inspired you to choose ophthalmology?)
I really fell into Ophthalmic research by luck, so I joined the group of Professor Elise Pebay back in 2013 at the Centre for Eye research Australia and I came with a neuroscience background and from there I never really looked back, so I’ve been working on creating patient drive stem cell models of retinal disease ever since.
(How has Australian Vision Research contributed to ophthalmology?)
I think all the Investments that AVR has made over the years have collectively helped to grow the knowledge base in Ophthalmic research, so I can’t really say that one is more important or had a a greater contribution than another, because I feel that all the investment in research and Discovery is really vital to understanding complex problems.
(What excites you about the future of ophthalmic research?)
So I’m really excited at the prospect of Artificial Intelligence or AI and Predictive Technologies in Ophthalmology, from screening and diagnosis, to uses in disease models which is what my research focus is on. Technology has come such a a long way since I first started my career in Eye research in 2013 and I think we’re going to see really huge advances in the field in the years to come.
(What research initiatives would you like to see funded?)
So I think I would really be keen to see AVR fund more research into some of the social determinants of vision health particularly low socioeconomic regional and remote communities. We know that so many eye diseases can be avoided or managed better if they’re detected early, and I think that health disparity and health literacy is a major impediment to making improvements in Eye Health.
(Why should donors support ophthalmic research?)
So, ophthalmic research receives a really small proportion of national funding research funding despite the huge burden of eye disease in our healthcare system, we’re competing for increasingly smaller pools of funding at the national level, which means that really great projects and ideas might miss out on funding altogether. So we really rely on the on the generosity of donors to facilitate our research and that has really has helped form the basis for new ideas and translational projects so we’re really grateful and really thankful to the donors who see the value in our research, and we hope that we can continue to deliver really exciting outcomes for them and the larger community
(Why considering leaving a bequest matters?
So, giving a bequest in a Will is a form of sustainable funding for researchers like myself so it has long-term impact and can support ongoing research for long-term studies without the usual fluctuations of annual donations or grant funding, and it’s also a really great way to leave a lasting Legacy so reflecting personal values and commitment to a cause that will benefit future Generations