Centre For Eye Research Australia (CERA)

The Centre for Eye Research Australia's mission is to eliminate the major eye diseases that cause vision loss and blindness and reduce their impact in the community. CERA today is Australia’s leading eye research institute and ranked among the top five in the world in its field. Its Director is Professor Jonathan Crowston, a glaucoma specialist. Established in 1996 by Professor Hugh Taylor, CERA is an independent medical research institute and a not-for-profit company limited by guarantee, governed by a Board of Directors. CERA is based within the Royal Victorian Eye & Ear Hospital, together with the University of Melbourne Department of Ophthalmology. Both are closely affiliated with each other and with the Hospital. In this partnership, research, teaching and training are embedded in a clinical setting. This integrated approach strongly supports translation of research into clinical practice. Research at CERA covers a full spectrum from basic science seeking to understand disease processes at the molecular level through clinical research, including trials of new treatments, to population and health services research. CERA has been designated as a Collaborating Centre for the Prevention of Blindness by the World Health Organisation (WHO), the only such centre in Australia.