Our Vision
To reduce the incidence of blindness worldwide by conducting research into patient treatment outcomes
Our Mission
The Save Sight Registries provides a web-based platform that allows clinicians to record data on “real world” treatment outcomes for eye diseases. The system, which was designed by clinicians for clinicians helps evaluate current and future treatments as they are released.
Our registries are immediately relevant to clinicians, researchers, public health providers and policy makers seeking to fight blindness and improve patient outcomes in Australia and internationally.
Our Story
The Registries track long-term ‘observational’ data. Without observational data, which looks at treatment outcomes among the general population, we would not know if a treatment works in the long-term. Conducting observational research on patient treatment outcomes is one of the fastest and most cost-effective ways to improve outcomes at scale.
The Registries have more than ten years of high-quality recorded data on treatment outcomes for neovascular age-related macular degeneration. The Registries initially started as the Fight Retinal Blindness! project (FRB), established in 2009. Since then, the Registries have grown to track a wide range of eye disease and their treatment outcomes in various projects
Also known as FRB, this project tracks the following eye diseases and their treatment outcomes:
- Wet age-related macular degeneration
- Choroidal neovascular age-related macular degeneration other than wet-AMD,
- Retinal vein occlusion,
- Diabetic macular oedema
- Retinopathy of prematurity
- Inherited retinal diseases (FIRB!)
- Keratoconus
- Keratoconus in optometry practices
- Dry eye disease
Also known as FGB, this project specifically focuses on glaucoma and treatment using minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) devices.
Also known as FUB, this project tracks uveitis and scleritis.
Also known as FTB, this project tracks ocular melanoma.
Our Affiliations
The flagship Fight Retinal Blindness! project was developed as a collaboration between the Save Sight Institute at The University of Sydney, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Lions Eye Institute.
The neovascular age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) registry at the core of the Fight Retinal Blindness! project has been implemented successfully in public and private health settings in New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, the ACT and Tasmania, and internationally in New Zealand, Singapore and Europe.
Collaboration with international academic and private centres is expanding as participation grows internationally. Save Sight Registries welcomes into the fold the University of Zurich and Singapore Eye Research Institute.
Our Funding
Save Sight Registries are funded through a range of sources. Start-up funding was provided by The Eye Foundation (2008) with subsequent major research grants awarded by the National Health & Medical Research Council (2010) and Macular Disease Foundation (2016). The funding underpins registry support, development and research activities. The Registries have also received funding from Novartis and Bayer. All support is provided on a non-binding basis either as a research or educational grant.
As a not-for-profit entity our work is contingent on the generous support of individuals and public and private sector organisations. We welcome your support in our shared fight against blindness.
Our Leadership
Mark Gillies
MB BS, PhD, FRANZCO
Director of Research, Save Sight Institute
Dept. of Ophthalmology & Eye Health, University of Sydney
Chief Investigator and Innovator, Save Sight Registries
Daniel Barthelmes
MD, PhD, EMBA, FEBO, FMH
Ophthalmology/Ophthalmic Surgery
Co-Investigator and Innovator Save Sight Registries
Director of the Department of Ophthalmology, University Hospital Zurich & University of Zurich
Stephanie Watson
BSc(Med) (Hons I), MBBS (Hons I), PhD, FRANZCO
Co-Investigator, Save Sight Registries
Fight Corneal Blindness!
Mitchell Lawlor
B.Med M.Med. FRANZCO PhD
Co-Investigator, Save Sight Registries Fight Glaucoma Blindness!
Richard Symes
B.Med M.Med. FRANZCO PhD
Co-Investigator, Save Sight Registries Fight Uveitis Blindness!
Matthew Simunovic
MB BChir PhD FRANZCO
Co-Investigator, Save Sight Registries
Fight Inherited Retinal Blindness!
Rod O'Day
MBBS, LLB, BSc, FRANZCO
Co-Investigator, Save Sight Registries
Fight Tumour Blindness!
Caroline Catt
BMedSci (Hons 1), BMBS, MMed, FRANZCO
Co-Investigator, Save Sight Registries
Fight Childhood Blindness!
Hemal Mehta
MBBS, MD (Cantab.), FRCOphth, FRANZCO
Co-Investigator, Fight Retinal Blindness! Geographic Atrophy Registry Development
Ashley Kras
MBBS (HONS), MBI (bioinformatics), Dip. Arts, FRANZCO
Bioinformatics and Artificial Intelligence Advisor