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Stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease: researching for an 
effective cure

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterised by the chronic and progressive loss of neurons, which in turn results in loss of cognitive and physical functions. The World Health Organization has estimated that the disability-adjusted life years lost from neurological disease was about...

PACK-crosslinking for infectious keratitis

Corneal cross-linking with riboflavin and UV-A light (CXL) is a technology that has been initially developed to treat corneal ectatic disorders [1]. Its effect in stabilising diseases such as keratoconus was reported in numerous trials with excellent long-term outcomes and...

Shifting the paradigm of managing patients in medical retina: how real-world data can help us to improve clinical practice

The ophthalmic subspecialty of ‘medical retina’ has undergone dramatic changes in recent years. With the introduction of ranibizumab (Lucentis, Novartis), a specialty formerly dominated by laser-based therapies has been transformed to become, in large part, pharmacotherapy-based. To date, these pharmacotherapies...

Patient and public participation shapes biomedical research and access priorities in eye health

Patients, clinicians and clinician-scientists play a valuable role in shaping the future of vision research. Limited funding demands targeted research initiatives that ultimately will shape health policy and practice to secure progress in improving patient outcomes in eye health. This...

My experience of the transition into a specialist orthoptist role

Michelle Dent discusses the process of transitioning into a new role and the pros and cons along the way. An opportunity arose for a permanent, full time, band 7 specialist role in the medical retina (MR) team in the Newcastle...

The history of ophthalmology: John Argyll Robertson and Douglas Moray Cooper Lamb Argyll Robertson

The author shares the story of an extraordinary father and son, two of the major figures in defining the specialty of ophthalmology as we know it today. The renowned Glasgow Surgeon Peter Lowe described ophthalmic surgery in his legendary surgical...

Diary from my elective: a Parisian experience

The author explains how a research institute’s dedication to multidisciplinary collaboration helped him to discover a passion for academic ophthalmology. The elective aspect to the final year of a medical degree, through its change of scenery and immersion into another...

Unconscious bias (part 2)

Does unconscious bias exist, and does training help to reduce discriminatory behaviour? Clare Inkster questions her role as a trainer. I read Gwyn Williams’ Learning Curve article on this topic a few months ago with interest, and as someone who...

Development of a modern surgical simulation suite to promote safer ophthalmic surgical training

For trainees, having access to surgical simulation equipment is more important than ever. The authors describe the creation of a bespoke teaching and training suite in Glasgow to help trainees develop their skills and promote surgical excellence. Simulation has become...

Ophthalmology clinical teaching and research fellowships: a pathway into ophthalmology specialty training

Ophthalmology is known for being one of the most competitive medical specialties in the UK, with 6.8 applicants per post in 2021. In fact, the competition ratio has drastically increased in recent years, rising from 5.73 in 2020 and 3.24...

Uveal melanoma

Uveal melanoma is the most common primary intraocular tumour. However, they are still rare, with an incidence of 2-8 per million [1]. The presence of a choroidal naevus is a risk factor for uveal melanoma [1]. Patients with choroidal lesions...

How do you solve the problem of trachoma in Ethiopia?

Background Trachoma is one of the oldest diseases known to humankind and the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Spread by the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis, it is transmitted through contact with the eyes, eyelids and nose of those infected. The...