We interviewed newly appointed Research Assistant Alicia Brunet about her work at the Lions Eye Institute and why she is dedicated to medical research. Here’s what she had to say.
Which research group do you work with?
“I work with the Retinal Genomics and Therapy Research Group led by Dr Livia Carvalho.”
When did you commence with the Lions Eye Institute?
“I started my position at the Lions Eye Institute in 2019 as an honour student and have since continued with my PhD. I am currently in the final stages of completing my PhD and now have the opportunity to become a research assistant while it is being finalised.”
As a research student with the Lions Eye Institute, what was the focus of your work?
“The Retinal Genomics and Therapy lab has a focus on discovering treatments for different forms of inherited retinal diseases (IRD), affecting one out of four thousand people worldwide. We aim to identify one treatment for different types of IRD. My work focuses on identifying why photoreceptors are dying and developing the most effective treatment to prevent patients from going blind.”
Any significant achievements you wish to share?
“The majority of my honours and PhD was spent characterising what happens during different inherited retinal diseases, the disease progression and how this affects vision over time. We have recently identified a potential cellular target for the treatment of dying photoreceptors that is common across different forms of inherited retinal disease. We would like to start experimental treatment in the lab this year.”
What is the focus of your research now? Has it changed?
“My research has stayed consistent throughout my time at the Lions Eye Institute. The complexity of inherited human diseases means the research takes many years before there is a breakthrough discovery. We hope that continuous efforts within this research area lead to an effective treatment for patients.”
What is it that attracted you to medical research and eyes specifically?
“I’ve always had a passion for science since I can remember and wanted to help people. I thought that becoming a medical doctor would have also been rewarding with the opportunity to help thousands, although becoming a medical scientist provides me with the opportunity to help millions of people worldwide with research. Vision is one of our most important senses and vision loss is debilitating for patients. Eye disease is a comparatively understudied research area compared to diseases like cancer, therefore I have dedicated the last five years to making a big impact in this area.”