This week I'm joined by special guest Associate Professor Lauren Ayton to discuss inherited retinal diseases.

One time not long ago, there was very little we could do to change the prognosis of inherited retinal diseases. People with Retinitis Pigmentosa. Choroideremia. Leber congenital amaurosis. Stargardt's disease. To name but a few. All conditions we previously monitored, and could only counsel on. But critical advances in research over the last decade now provide hope to people with such conditions.

Resources

• Retina Australia: https://retinaaustralia.com.au/
• An optometrist guide to the top candidate inherited retinal diseases for gene therapy: https://doi.org/10.1080/08164622.2021.1878851
• The Australian Inherited Retinal Disease Register and DNA Bank is Australia’s largest DNA ban collecting family history and genetic samples, but not comprehensive clinical data (which is captured by state-based registries – below). The AIRDR has proudly been funded by Retina Australia since its inception in 2009. https://www.scgh.health.wa.gov.au/Research/DNA-Bank
• The VENTURE Registry is a collaboration between the Centre for Eye Research Australia and the University of Melbourne which collects both clinical and genetic information on people living with IRDs in Victoria. This registry also includes female carriers of X-linked IRDs. https://www.cera.org.au/research/venture-study/
• The Save Sight Institute IRD Registry is based in NSW and led by an ophthalmologist (Prof Grigg) and geneticist (Prof Jamieson), collecting both clinical and genetic data on people living with IRDs. https://www.sydney.edu.au/save-sight-institute/our-research/eye-genetics-inherited-retinal-diseases/inherited-retinal-diseases.html
• The Western Australia Retinal Disease (WARD) study is based at the Lions Eye Institute in Perth, collecting clinical and genetic information on people with IRDs. The Lead Investigator, A/Prof Fred Chen, is also the Head of the Ocular Tissue Engineering Laboratory at Lions, developing new treatments for IRDs. https://www.lei.org.au/research/clinical-trials/the-western-australian-retinal-degeneration-ward-study-lions-eye-institute-retina-australia/

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Episode 3: Age-Related Macular Degeneration

From the godmother of age-related macular degeneration research, this podcast touches on all the things a clinician diagnosing and monitoring AMD needs to know right now about this condition: how it affects a person, staging and recording it, past, current and new treatment, and potential emerging knowledge and innovations.

About our guest Professor Robyn Guymer: Robyn is the Deputy Director of CERA, the Head of Macular Research at CERA, and Professor of Ophthalmology at Melbourne University. She is also a senior retinal specialist at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital. Learn more about Robyn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/robyn-guymer-am-6b498992/?originalSubdomain=au

A standout resource available for all things AMD related, for both clinicians and non-clinicians: https://www.mdfoundation.com.au

Robyn’s current clinical trials for AMD can be found at the Centre for Eye Research Australia: https://www.cera.org.au/current-trials/?

Prof. Robyn and A/Prof Lauren have created an e-learning course on AMD with the latest information on imaging tools, clinical biomarkers and management with the newest emerting treatments and technology. It has been designed specifically for primary eye care practitioners which can be found here: https://study.unimelb.edu.au/find/short-courses/age-related-macular-degeneration-for-primary-eyecare-practitioners/

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This episode explores the intersection of eye health, technology and artificial intelligence with Professor Andrew Turpin, the Chair of Ophthalmic Data at the Lions Eye Institute jointly appointed at Curtin University. Andrew is a computer scientist with niche skills in eye health, whose research adds a unique perspective to eye care and the advancement of eye care technologies.

Together, we delve into the fusion of eye health and computer science, with an emphasis on AI-driven healthcare solutions.

Key topics include:

• Evolution of Visual Acuity Testing: Challenges and innovations in clinical practice.
• Advancements in Testing Technologies: Potential of virtual reality headsets and handheld OCT devices.
• Perimetry Testing: Improvements needed for efficiency and reducing unnecessary tests, with a focus on real-time eye tracking and head-mounted perimeters.
• Objective Testing Methods: Role of fundus imaging and AI analysis, highlighting deep learning applications and the importance of data quality.
• AI in Clinical Practice: Augmenting clinicians and automating tasks like fundus photography and OCT imaging. We highlight collaborations such as Google DeepMind and Lions Eye Institute's work on detecting diabetic retinopathy in remote communities.
• Data Privacy and Integration: Challenges in data protection, managing personal information, and legal responsibilities of AI technologies.
• Emerging Technologies: The future of AI and retinal imaging, including the use of VR headsets and advancements in both hardware and software.

Here are some of Andrew’s recommendations for interesting insights into AI:

Artificial Intelligence and Human Life: Five Lessons for Radiology from the 737 MAX Disasters: https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/10.1148/ryai.2020190111

Lessons learned from translating AI from development to deployment in healthcare: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-023-02293-9

And an interesting diabetic retinopathy project: https://docs.aireadi.org/ because they have created a new license for data use that restricts sharing the data but also includes text about identifying individuals and sharing the data inadvertently. Anyone who is thinking of using/releasing data should look at it.

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In our inaugural introductory episode on the retina, we chat about historical perspectives on the role of the retina in vision, its important features, how we can see them, and things that might go wrong. We try not to blow your minds too much in this introductory episode, but my guest Lauren, just cannot help herself!

About our guest A/Prof Lauren Ayton: Lauren co-leads the Retinal Gene Therapy Unit and is the Head of the Vision Optimisation Unit at the University of Melbourne. Her research interests are inherited retinal disease (IRD), low vision, and interventions to assist people with IRD, including gene therapy. Trained as an optometrist, Lauren couldn’t help but continue asking all the hard questions and trying to find the answers! Learn more about Lauren here.

Show resources:

• A very interesting timeline of key events and developments in our understanding of the retina
• A fantastic interactive site to visualise the layers of the retina

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I’m Lien Trinh, your host of Talking Eyes, a groundbreaking Australian podcast dedicated to exploring the latest advancements in eye research. We’ll be translating these golden nuggets into tangible clinical practices, and help non-clinicians navigate your own interests in eye health and future possibilities.

You, may be a vision tester. You, may be experiencing vision impairment. You, may have a loved one losing their sight. For you, I am thrilled to launch Talking Retina, the first of our podcast series, to offer an inside look into the dynamic world of retinal research. Our guests are true visionaries, dedicated to bridging the gap between scientific discovery and real-world impact. Vision and vision research is complex, but there are endless possibilities.

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