Imagine if you could never see your loved ones’ faces again
The IMI will be a focal point for ophthalmological research. It will be a place where we can better understand and treat a wide range of eye conditions afflicting both young and old.
As we get older, one in three of us over 75 will be affected by Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), a disease which causes sight loss. Yet only one per cent of medical research investment is directed towards eye research.
Some face injections into the eye, while for others there is no treatment at all. But there is hope: our researchers and engineers are developing better, cheaper, less invasive treatments for AMD and other leading causes of sight loss.
we’re helping people to see a brighter future
Southampton is at the forefront of ophthalmological care in the UK. University Hospital Southampton assesses and treats up to 100,000 patients every year. Our researchers and doctors are leading the way, innovating new treatments for conditions like AMD.
By adapting Hubble Telescope technology, we have developed powerful new methods to take more focused and detailed images of the retinal cells at the back of the eye.
We are the leading centre for the treatment of albinism, and its associated eye conditions and are running trials for a drug that targets specific genetic mutations.
We have developed an app to help children engage with their eye patches and wear them properly, reducing the impact of amblyopia (known as lazy-eye).
We identified a rare genetic mutation in patients with AMD, in a study based in Guernsey, which led to the development of a gene therapy that is now being tested all over the world.
The IMI will accelerate sight loss research
The IMI will accelerate sight loss research
With your help, the IMI will supercharge our research capabilities, allowing us to improve diagnosis and treatment for vision loss. A generous donation can help us deliver on our greatest ambition: to eventually find ways to restore lost sight. The IMI is more than just a building: it is the hope of a clearer tomorrow.
The IMI will help us:
Work with computer scientists in powerful computing labs to harness the power of AI to develop early diagnosis techniques for eye problems.
Use state-of-the-art imaging facilities to study hundreds of thousands of retinal scans to better understand AMD.
Find less invasive ways to treat AMD. We will use the expertise of engineers and chemists to develop new treatments, such as regenerating dead cells or creating an in-eye reservoir for easier drug delivery.
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Leading the fight against sight loss
Professor Andrew Lotery
Professor of Ophthalmology
Andrew specialises in looking after patients with inherited retinal diseases, diabetic retinopathy and age related macular degeneration.
Dr James Self
Associate Professor of Paediatric Ophthalmology
Jay’s research covers a range of disorders affecting vision in children including nystagmus, albinism, genetic disorders of the eye, amblyopia and paediatric cataract
Dr Helena Lee
Associate Professor in Ophthalmology
Helena is currently investigating the role of Oral Levodopa in improving visual development in infants and young children with Albinism.
support the future of medicine
By supporting the new Institute for Medical Innovation, you can help us preserve the sight of those whose worlds are disappearing. You can help us get the right people, in the right place, at the right time. Your donation will accelerate research and bring tomorrow’s cures, today.
We need to raise £50m to build this incredible facility. Join us and be at the heart of medical innovation.