Moorfields Eye Charity and Medical Research Foundation to invest in children’s eye health

Moorfields Eye Charity and the Medical Research Foundation have committed to investing £1.7 million to support research in childhood and adolescent eye health.

The Medical Research Foundation will invest £1.2 million while Moorfields Eye Charity has pledged to raise £500,000 for this area of research.

Director of UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, Andrew Dick, shared that currently only 3% of funding is spent on researching eye diseases.

“This partnership and significant investment from the Medical Research Foundation and Moorfields Eye Charity will change the landscape of children’s eye health,” he said.

“The funding and multi-disciplinary approach with rapid translation of research at Moorfields and UCL will help bring new therapies and better outcomes to patients,” Dick emphasised.

Chief executive of the Moorfields Eye Charity, Robert Dufton, described the partnership as “an amazing opportunity.”

“We’re delighted to be working together to further support Moorfields Eye Hospital and its academic partner, the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology – known for their pioneering advancements, and to make a difference to the lives of patients and their families,” she said.

Chief executive of the Medical Research Foundation, Dr Angela Hind, highlighted that child and adolescent eye health is an underfunded area of research, with the joint funding representing an “invaluable opportunity.”

“We’re thrilled to be providing funding for ground-breaking, multi-disciplinary research nationally that we hope will change the lives of many young patients with sight conditions,” she said.

Full information on the grant and application process can be found on the Medical Research Foundation’s website.