Associate Professor Chris Williams was recently appointed as the Senior Researcher on the Bionic Eye Project.

Chris completed his PhD in Neuroscience at the University of Auckland and prior to joining The Bionic Ear Institute he was Associate Professor of Brain Rescue and Repair at the Liggins Institute, Auckland. With extensive experience in brain research and repair research, Chris has progressed several projects through to commercial development and clinical trials.

Working closely with Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) this initial 18 month research project is a feasibility study designed to address the key biocompatibility and efficacy issues associated with a high resolution Bionic Eye. The ultimate objective of this important work is to develop a bionic implant capable of restoring vision to people suffering from eye diseases such as macula degeneration, which is responsible for 48% of all blindness in Australia.

Exciting progress has been made with the initial stages of this project with promising preliminary results. Chris has been collaborating with Associate Professor Robyn Guymer, Dr Penny Allen, and Dr Mark McCombe from CERA/RVEEH (Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital) to establish an experimental surgical approach. Researchers from the Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of NSW have developed prototypes of a suitable implant design. Chris and Dr Penny Allen have been testing these prototypes for biocompatibility and efficacy.