“As a doctor, I am committed to getting the best possible visual outcome for my patients. As a researcher, I look for innovative ways to slow the progression of vision loss and develop new therapies to restore sight.”
Associate Professor Fred Chen is a consultant ophthalmologist at the Lions Eye Institute, Royal Perth Hospital and Perth Children’s Hospital and a research scientist who established and leads the Lions Eye Institute’s Ocular Tissue Engineering Laboratory. He is also Acting Head of The University of Western Australia’s (UWA) Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science (COVS).
Associate Professor Chen studied medicine at UWA. After completing his ophthalmology training at Royal Perth Hospital in 2006, he moved to London for advanced training in medical and surgical retina at Moorfields Eye Hospital. He also completed a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in surgical techniques of retinal pigment epithelium transplantation for treatment of dry and wet macular degeneration at the University College of London Institute of Ophthalmology. Associate Professor Chen returned to Perth in 2011 as a senior lecturer at the UWA Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science.
Research undertaken by Associate Professor Chen and his teams at the Ocular Tissue Engineering Laboratory tests new treatments in dry age-related macular degeneration, monitoring of inherited retinal disease progression and application of stem cell technology in developing personalised medicine for rare retinal diseases.
Associate Professor Chen has extensive national and international research collaborations, is the author of a text book chapter, journal articles, national and international conference abstracts and is a reviewer for several publications.
Areas of clinical specialty
- Retinal detachment repair
- Macular hole repair
- Epiretinal membrane peel
- Cataract and dislocated lens surgery
- Treatment of dry and wet macular degeneration
- Inherited retinal diseases, including Stargardt disease, retinitis pigmentosa, achromatopsia, cone dystrophy and pattern dystrophy
- Ocular toxicity of systemic treatment including plaquenil and chemotherapy
- Autoimmune retinopathy
- Clinical trials of new drugs
Research interests
- Dry and wet macular degeneration
- Inherited retinal diseases and national registry
- Stem cells, including iPSC and retinal organoid disease modelling
- High resolution retinal imaging
- Retinal image analysis using deep learning neural network
- Clinical applications of retina-tracking microperimetry
- Clinical audit using electronic medical records and national registry
- Detection of eye melanoma tumour cells in the blood
Awards/Professional Achievements
- Research funding from: philanthropic donations, NH&MRC Project Grant, CRE and Early Career Research Fellowship (2013-2016), Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia, Retina Australia, Honda Foundation, Viertel Charitable Foundation, The University of Western Australia, Health Department of Western Australia, Australian Foundation for Prevention of Blindness Trust, The Lions Club, Lions Eye Institute
- Head of Ocular Tissue Engineering Laboratory, Lions Eye Institute (2011-)
- Author of a book chapter “Vitreoretinal Surgery” in Oxford Specialty Training: Training in Ophthalmology, The Essential Clinical Curriculum. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2009 and 2016
- More than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles
- More than 50 national and international conference abstracts
- Reviewer for Retina, Ophthalmology, IOVS, Clinical Experimental Ophthalmology, Eye, ORIA and NH&MRC
- Schneider Prize for Interns Award (1999) Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital
Further Key Experience
- PhD in surgical techniques of retinal pigment epithelium transplantation for treatment of retinal diseases, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology (2011)
- Medical Retina Fellowship, Moorfields Eye Hospital (2010)
- Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship, Moorfields Eye Hospital (2007-2009)
Professional memberships
- Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
- Asia Pacific Vitreo Retina Society
- Asia Pacific Ocular Imaging Society
- The American Society of Retinal Specialists
- Australian and New Zealand Society of Retinal Specialists
- Australasian Society for Stem Cell Research
- Australian Medical Association
- Medical Defence Australia National
- Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists
- Governance Institute of Australia (Cert)
- Centre for Cell Therapy and Regenerative Medicine
Current hospital/university affiliations
- Ophthalmology Consultant, Vitreoretinal Surgery, Royal Perth Hospital
- Visiting Consultant Ophthalmologist, Perth Children’s Hospital
- Visiting Consultant Ophthalmologist, St John of God Hospital Subiaco, Western Australia
- Associate Professor / Principal Research Fellow, Centre for Ophthalmology and Visual Science, UWA
- Clinical Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Victoria
- Centre for Eye Research Australia, Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Victoria
