The Lions Eye Institute turns 40 this year and is celebrating its position as one of the nation’s leading ophthalmic research and clinical care organisations. It sees up to 80,000 patients across Western Australia and undertakes more than 80 clinical trials a year, as well as conducting world class medical research.
It’s founder, Professor Ian Constable AO says the Institute recognises that ongoing philanthropic support from the community is a cornerstone of its success.
Since it was founded in 1983, that support has come from outstanding Western Australian organisations such as the McCusker Charitable Foundation, the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation, the Wen Giving Foundation and Lions Save-Sight Foundation to name a few. This generosity has facilitated some of the Lions Eye Institute’s biggest breakthrough inventions and treatments.
These include the world’s first soft artificial cornea, discovering gene therapy to treat wet age-related macular degeneration, inventing the XEN® Gel Stent - a far less invasive treatment for glaucoma than traditional surgery, and the Virna Glaucoma Drainage Device - an affordable treatment for glaucoma used in Indonesia.
It’s also behind creating the Barrett Universal II Formula used in cataract surgery, pioneering the central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) bypass laser surgery procedure, and making a significant scientific discovery into cytomegalovirus infections which was awarded the Australian Museum Eureka Prize for Scientific Research.
Thanks to the support of the Stan Perron Charitable Foundation, a platform to treat diabetesrelated vision loss in children and the undertaking of research to detect the disease earlier and find new treatments has been established. Early detection ensures that no child in Western Australia will lose their eyesight due to diabetes.
Professor Bill Morgan, Managing Director, Lions Eye Institute
Lions Eye Institute managing director Professor Bill Morgan says inventing breakthrough surgical treatments like the XEN® Gel Stent and saving sight is the driving force behind the Institute’s significant and ongoing commitment to world-class medical research and its translation into clinical practice.
“Often referred to as the most valued of our senses, sight is a gift to be treasured,” Professor Morgan says.
“However, despite major scientific advances, blindness remains a significant problem globally.” The United Nations World Population Prospects 2019 report explains that by 2050, the 65 and over age group will be the fastest growing demographic, outnumbering children aged under
five for the first time.
Worldwide eye disease is projected to significantly increase over the next three decades because of the ageing population, increased life expectancy and lack of access to quality eye care for those living in developing countries, and rural and remote areas of the developed world, including Australia. Myopia alone is set to reach 50 per cent of the global population by 2050.
Professor Morgan says the need has never been greater for the Lions Eye Institute to discover new treatments and cures for blinding eye conditions.
Professor Constable explains that when he arrived in Perth from Boston in 1975, eye surgery wasn’t universally available in Western Australia, with patients having to travel interstate for some conditions. Rural and remote services were very limited.
The Lions Eye Institute currently operates in several locations across Western Australia including Nedlands, Murdoch, Midland, and Broome. It comprises a Medical Research Institute, Lions Eye Bank, Clinical Trials Centre, and Lions Outback Vision, making it one of the largest eye clinics and vision research centres in the country.
Research shows Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have more than three times the rates of blindness and 14 times the rates of vision loss from diabetes. Approximately 11 per cent of Australia’s North West Aboriginal population is vision impaired or blind, and 35 per cent of this population have never had an eye exam.
Professor Mariapia Degli-Esposti in her laboratory
To help address this Lions Outback Vision launched the Vision Van in 2015 and the Kimberley Eye Hub in Broome was officially opened in October 2022.
Professor Morgan says it marks an exciting new era of providing greater equity of eye health services and transforming patient care in regional and remote Aboriginal communities across the North West.
Formerly the Kimberley Klub backpacker hostel, the Hub was donated to the Lions Outback Vision by the Wen Giving Foundation and Hawaiian Group.
It has since undergone a significant transformation to provide permanent specialised eye health services in Broome and outreach to 20 communities and five regional towns across the Kimberley. The Lions Eye Institute is also assessing options to run accessible eye health care clinics for refugee and Aboriginal communities, at its Midland clinic, which was officially opened in August 2022.
With a commitment to improving the lives of patients, the Lions Eye Institute is leading the way in the research, development and implementation of cutting-edge eye care technologies. This ensures the provision of new treatments and cures as well as accessible eye care for all Western Australians.
The Lions Eye Institute would like to sincerely thank all those who have generously supported it over the past 40 years.
