07: Glaucoma inheritance study, Tasmania – GIST

Glaucoma inheritance study, Tasmania – GIST ($50,000)

A grant was provided to Dr. David Mackey to fund a research assistant. Glaucoma is an eye disease affecting 3% of the population, if left undiagnosed or untreated it can lead to loss of peripheral vision and eventually blindness. His research confirmed that it is frequently an inherited condition. Dr Mackey, an ophthalmologist with the University of Tasmania and the University of Melbourne, led the project. Another major benefit of the study was the presence of three senior ophthalmology fellows visiting Launceston for one week every month.

Note: A presentation by Dr. Mackey at the European Glaucoma Society Conference in Paris on the findings of the GIST project received the Award for Best Scientific Paper.