EVENT: Raine Lecture - Molecular Genetics of Glaucoma: Hopes for Better Management Wed, 10 Sep 2014 12:00 - The McCusker Auditorium, Harry Perkins Institute of Medical Research, QEII Campus Professor Wallace L M Alward, MD Professor Alward is primarily a glaucoma clinician. His areas of research interest include pigmentary glaucoma, combined glaucoma and cataract surgery, normal tension glaucoma, and gonioscopy. The major focus of his research over more than two decades has been the molecular genetics of glaucoma. Professor Alward was part of the team that in 1993 described the first genetic linkage for open angle glaucoma (GLC1A). Subsequently, in a 1997 Science paper, they reported that mutations in the myocilin gene at the GLC1A locus caused juvenile glaucoma and 3 – 5% of adult onset open angle glaucoma. Professor Alward will discuss the discovery of the myocilin gene and how this finding might influence the clinical management of glaucoma patients. It is a story that travels from an individual patient to treatments that might be used for his children and grandchildren. He will touch on presymptomatic molecular diagnosis, gene replacement therapy and stem cells, but will focus on “small molecule therapy” - developing drugs to treat a specific underlying molecular defect. The hope is that this will lead to treatments that are more effective, more specific and longer lasting. For more information: Hilary Salisbury HSalisbury@lei.org.au 9381 0777 Starts : Wed, 10 Sep 2014 12:00 Ends : Wed, 10 Sep 2014 13:30 Last Updated : Tue, 19 Aug 2014 10:30