Associate Professor Robyn Guymer

Associate Professor Robyn Guymer is a retinal specialist with a PhD from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in transplantation immunology. She undertook a two year medical retinal fellowship at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, under Professor Alan Bird, for which she was awarded a Royal Australian College of Surgeons traveling fellowship in 1995. Upon her return to Australia, she joined the Centre for Eye Research (CERA) where she heads the Division of Clinical Research and is Head of the Macular Research Unit.

A/Professor Guymer is also a practising clinician with an appointment as a medical retinal consultant at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (RVEEH).

A/Professor Guymer initiated the genetic study of Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) at CERA in 1997 and established the McComas molecular genetics laboratory. She conducts clinical trials into the treatment of AMD and epidemiological studies into its risk factors, and has been responsible for introducing new treatments and investigative tools at the RVEEH. Her clinical skills and years of research into AMD make her one of the most experienced people in AMD research in Australia. This has been recognised through funding support from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) and the Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia. In 2002 she was awarded the Amgen medical researcher award for her work in AMD, particularly for her ability to translate basic science into clinical practice.