OUTCOMES OF CORNEAL ALLERGENIC INTRASTROMAL RING SEGMENT (CAIRS) SURGERY
Dr David Gunn, Ophthalmologist
Cornea, Cataract and Refractive Surgeon, Queensland Eye Institute
& Focus Vision Clinic in Brisbane, Queensland
RESEARCHER PROFILE (Filmed in Brisbane, Queensland, Australian | June 2024)
Dr David Gunn is an ophthalmologist specialising in cornea, cataract, and refractive surgery at the Queensland Eye Institute and Focus Vision in Brisbane, Queensland. His journey into ophthalmology began during medical school, inspired by a mentor. He initially engaged in research on mouse glaucoma, exploring amacrine cells and their responses.
After completing his residency and gaining experience in eye casualty at the Royal Brisbane Hospital, David underwent four years of surgical training in the Queensland network. This was followed by a stint at the Bristol Eye Hospital in the UK, focusing on the cornea and anterior segment. Since returning to Queensland, he has concentrated on keratoconus research.
One of the pivotal moments in his career was the decision to specialise in cornea surgery, which included performing Australia’s first CAIRS procedure in May 2021. His current research examines outcomes for patients undergoing Corneal Allergenic Intrastromal Ring Segment (CAIRS) surgery.
Dr Gunn finds immense satisfaction in the immediate post-operative results he sees in patients, as visual acuity provides a tangible measure of success. He is passionate about introducing less invasive surgical techniques that lead to improvements in patients’ lives.
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Targeting chemotherapy resistance in ovarian cancer patients
Dr Alex Cole, from the Centenary Institute’s Centre for Biomedical AI, is now leading the research focused on developing a new treatment to counteract a protein called follistatin (FST), known for making ovarian cancer cells resistant to chemotherapy.
By employing cutting-edge molecular biology and directed evolution techniques, the project aims to create nanobodies—small, precise molecules—that can block FST. If successful, these nanobodies could enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy and improve ovarian cancer treatment rates.
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Visceral pain and the gut-brain axis
Professor Stuart Brierley is Director of the Visceral Pain Research Group, Director of the Hopwood Centre for Neurobiology, and Theme co-Leader of Lifelong Health at the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI).
Prof Brierley is an international expert on the ‘gut-brain axis’ and chronic visceral pain mechanisms. Current investigations are on a individual cell type called the enterochromaffin cell, and it helps signal pain and anxiety from the gastrointestinal tract to the brain.
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Genetic alterations in prostate cancer initiation and progression
Watch Dr Kelsie Raspin, a dedicated Postdoctoral Research Fellow specialising in Cancer Genetics at Menzies Institute for Medical Research, University of Tasmania, talk on bridging a critical knowledge gap in the understanding of genetic alterations implicated in prostate cancer initiation and its progression into metastatic forms.
