MDFA Marks 25th Anniversary With $300,000 in New Research Grants
Macular Disease Foundation Australia (MDFA) has handed down $300,000 across two new research grants as part of celebrations marking its 25th anniversary, with one award targeting geographic atrophy and the other aimed squarely at improving outcomes for regional and rural patients.
The funding was unveiled at a dedicated event at The Woodward Centre in Melbourne on 19 June, with the foundation using the milestone year to launch two new award categories: the MDFA 25th Anniversary Award ($200,000) and the Elisabeth Macdonald Memorial Award ($100,000).
The grants add to a research investment that now stands at $7.2 million since 2011, a figure MDFA says makes it the largest non-government funder of macular disease research in the country. Both awards are funded entirely through donor contributions.
Geographic atrophy in the spotlight
The inaugural MDFA 25th Anniversary Award has gone to Associate Professor Zhichao Wu, whose project is focused on improving how clinicians detect and track progression of geographic atrophy, the late-stage form of dry age-related macular degeneration in which retinal cells die off, leaving patches of "missing retina" that can encroach on the macula and erode central vision.
For practitioners, one of the persistent challenges in geographic atrophy has been the lack of sufficiently sensitive tools to pick up functional vision loss as lesions progress. Associate Professor Wu's research will trial a new, more sensitive method for monitoring that loss, with the broader goal of making future clinical trials of emerging geographic atrophy treatments faster and more efficient to run, a development that could have flow-on effects for how new therapies reach patients.
New award targets the access gap in regional care
The Elisabeth Macdonald Memorial Award, newly established to support research relevant to patients in regional and rural Australia, has been awarded to Professor Angus Turner for his work refining an AI-driven retinal imaging tool.
The technology analyses retinal photographs to flag a range of conditions, including AMD, diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. Professor Turner's project will further develop, validate and test the tool with the aim of extending retinal screening capability into regional and rural Western Australia, where limited access to specialist eye care can delay diagnosis and contribute to preventable vision loss.
The intent is to strengthen referral pathways and bring earlier detection within reach of communities that are currently underserved, a goal likely to resonate with optometrists and other primary eye health providers working outside metropolitan centres.
A donor-funded research legacy
MDFA has been explicit that neither award would exist without donor support, and is using the anniversary to encourage further giving to underwrite future research rounds.
Further detail on both projects is available via MDFA's website, covering the MDFA 25th Anniversary Award and the Elisabeth Macdonald Memorial Award. Those wishing to contribute to future research rounds can donate via MDFA.
