Research Foundation

History of the Foundation

The Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital Research Foundation was established in 1974 as the brainchild of Mr Alan Mooney. The Hospital Council nominated a committee consisting of 9 Consultant Ophthalmologists and ENT-HN Consultants. The Committee immediately embarked on a fund-raising campaign to build a unit which would facilitate research into diseases of the Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat. Thanks to the enthusiasm of the Committee and Mr Alan Mooney, in particular, the embryo Research Unit was opened in a converted mobile home in 1976 and, with further public fund-raising, the present permanent Research Unit building was opened by the then Minister for Health, Dr. Michael Woods, in March 1981. Over subsequent years, funding for research in the unit has depended on an annual contribution from the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital, charitable donations from the general public and funds raised from services provided by the Research Unit relating to Ophthalmic and Auditory disorders.

Services Provided:

The Ophthalmic and ENT-HN services provided are as follows; -

• Electro-Oculography
• Electro-Retinography
• Brain Stem Evoked Responses
• A-Scan Ultrasound for IOL measurement
• Colour Vision Testing
• Dark Adaptometry
• Optical Coherence Tomography
• Retinal Photography and Fluorescein Angiography

Research Activity:

The main function of the Research Foundation is to provide equipment and financial support to staff members at the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital.   It also carries out Research Projects throughout the country for subsequent publication in the literature and presentation at Medical Conferences.

The Research Foundation also provides funding for trainee doctors to undertake higher diploma or degree studies and also to fund research fellows in work linking the Research Foundation with outside Colleges.

Co-operation with Trinity College Genetics Department:

In Collaboration with the Ocular Genetics Unit at Trinity College, Dublin, the Research Foundation has been active in identifying large Irish families with forms of Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP).

To date, this collaboration has resulted in the identification of a number of genes including Rhodopsin, Peripherin/RDS and the Mitochondrial gene.

Recently, the group identified a mutation in the IMPDH1 gene in a large Spanish kindred with a severe and early onset form of Autosomal Dominant Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Committee Members:

Mr. David Mooney	Chairman
Ms Aoife Doyle	Treasurer
Mr. Paul Kenna	Lecturer in Ocular Genetics
Mr. Billy Power
Professor Con Timon
Dr. Susan Kennedy
Mr. Dara Kilmartin
Mr. Mark Cahill
Professor Lorraine Cassidy
Ms. Aoife Doyle
Ms. Christine Hamilton	Research Secretary
Ms. Hilary Dempsey	Research Technician

Donations:

As always, the Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Research Foundation is seeking financial support from the general public and any donations are most welcome.

Contributions can be referred to:

Research Foundation
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital
Adelaide Road
Dublin 2.

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