Skip to main content
Macular Disease Foundation Australia
  • My Cart
  • Text Only
  • Listen
  • Print Page
  • Language
    • English
    • Arabic
    • Chinese
    • Greek
    • Italian
    • Portuguese
    • Spanish
    • Vietnamese
  • Search form

Check My Macula Check My Macula Join the Community Join the Community Order Free Information Order Free Information Call our helpline at 1800111709 Helpline
1800 111 709
Donate Donate
  • Home
  • Macular Disease
    • Macular Degeneration
      • About Macular Degeneration
      • Check My Macula
      • What Happens?
      • Risk Factors
      • Prevention
      • Detection
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
      • Charles Bonnet Syndrome
      • Cataracts and Macular Degeneration
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Diabetic Retinopathy
      • About Diabetic Retinopathy
      • About Diabetes
      • What Happens?
      • Risk Factors
      • Prevention
      • Detection
      • Diagnosis
      • Treatment
      • Frequently Asked Questions
    • Low Vision
      • Living with Low Vision
      • Carer and Family
      • Aids and Technology
      • Slips, Trips and Falls
      • Legal blindness
    • Other Macular Diseases
      • Best Disease
      • Macular Hole
      • Macular Pucker
      • Macular Telangiectasia
      • Myopic Macular Degeneration
      • Retinal Detachment
      • Retinitis Pigmentosa
      • Retinal Vein Occlusion
      • Stargardt Disease
      • Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSC)
      • Posterior Vitreous Detachment and Floaters
      • Vitreomacular Traction Syndrome
    • Visit Eye Health Professional
      • Eye Injection Costs and Rebates
    • Macular Disease
      • Anti-VEGF injections for macular disease
  • Research
    • Research Grants Program
      • Research Grants Awarded
      • Research Grant Recipients
      • Apply for the 2021 MDFA Research Grants Program
      • Research Grants Panel
    • Support Research
    • Latest Research
      • Research News
      • MDFA Research
      • Macular Diseases
      • Understanding Research
      • Social Impact
    • Research Updates
      • Annual Research Update
      • Weekly Research Updates for Professionals
    • Research studies
      • Research participants needed in the Canberra region who enjoy art and have vision loss
  • Resources
    • Order Publications and Resources
    • Find a Healthcare Provider
    • Audio and Video
      • Audio
      • Podcasts
      • Patient Voices
      • Videos
    • Macula Menus
    • Check My Macula toolkits
    • Aged care resources
  • News & Events
    • Newsletters
      • Vision Voice Newsletters
      • Subscribe to Newsletters
      • Archive
    • News
      • 2021 news
      • 2020 news
      • 2019 News
      • 2018 News
      • 2017 News
      • 2016 News
      • Archived News
    • Events & Activities
      • Community Events
      • Education Sessions
      • Events Calendar
      • Watch past webinars
    • Media Centre
      • Media Releases
  • Foundation
    • Organisation
      • History
      • Objectives
      • Guiding Principles
      • Annual Reports
      • Whistleblower Policy
      • Financial Statements
    • People
      • Patron
      • State Patrons / Representatives
      • Ambassadors
      • Foundation Board
      • Committees
      • State Chairs
      • National Research Advisor
    • Our Work
      • Awareness
      • Education
      • Support Services
      • Research
      • Representation
    • Support Us
      • Donate
      • Bequests
      • Fundraise
      • Volunteer
      • Friends of the Foundation
      • Sponsors and Supporters
      • Professional Friends
    • Contact Us
Listen
Macular Disease Foundation Australia
Check My Macula Macula Join the Community Join Us Order Free Information Free Info Donate Donate
Menu
  • My Cart
    • Language
      • English
      • Arabic
      • Chinese
      • Greek
      • Italian
      • Portuguese
      • Spanish
      • Vietnamese
    • Home
    • Macular Disease
      • Macular Degeneration
        • About Macular Degeneration
        • Check My Macula
        • What Happens?
        • Risk Factors
        • Prevention
        • Detection
        • Diagnosis
        • Treatment
        • Charles Bonnet Syndrome
        • Cataracts and Macular Degeneration
        • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Diabetic Retinopathy
        • About Diabetic Retinopathy
        • About Diabetes
        • What Happens?
        • Risk Factors
        • Prevention
        • Detection
        • Diagnosis
        • Treatment
        • Frequently Asked Questions
      • Low Vision
        • Living with Low Vision
        • Carer and Family
        • Aids and Technology
        • Slips, Trips and Falls
        • Legal blindness
      • Other Macular Diseases
        • Best Disease
        • Macular Hole
        • Macular Pucker
        • Macular Telangiectasia
        • Myopic Macular Degeneration
        • Retinal Detachment
        • Retinitis Pigmentosa
        • Retinal Vein Occlusion
        • Stargardt Disease
        • Central Serous Chorioretinopathy (CSC)
        • Posterior Vitreous Detachment and Floaters
        • Vitreomacular Traction Syndrome
      • Visit Eye Health Professional
        • Eye Injection Costs and Rebates
      • Macular Disease
        • Anti-VEGF injections for macular disease
    • Research
      • Research Grants Program
        • Research Grants Awarded
        • Research Grant Recipients
        • Apply for the 2021 MDFA Research Grants Program
        • Research Grants Panel
      • Support Research
      • Latest Research
        • Research News
        • MDFA Research
        • Macular Diseases
        • Understanding Research
        • Social Impact
      • Research Updates
        • Annual Research Update
        • Weekly Research Updates for Professionals
      • Research studies
        • Research participants needed in the Canberra region who enjoy art and have vision loss
    • Resources
      • Order Publications and Resources
      • Find a Healthcare Provider
      • Audio and Video
        • Audio
        • Podcasts
        • Patient Voices
        • Videos
      • Macula Menus
      • Check My Macula toolkits
      • Aged care resources
    • News & Events
      • Newsletters
        • Vision Voice Newsletters
        • Subscribe to Newsletters
        • Archive
      • News
        • 2021 news
        • 2020 news
        • 2019 News
        • 2018 News
        • 2017 News
        • 2016 News
        • Archived News
      • Events & Activities
        • Community Events
        • Education Sessions
        • Events Calendar
        • Watch past webinars
      • Media Centre
        • Media Releases
    • Foundation
      • Organisation
        • History
        • Objectives
        • Guiding Principles
        • Annual Reports
        • Whistleblower Policy
        • Financial Statements
      • People
        • Patron
        • State Patrons / Representatives
        • Ambassadors
        • Foundation Board
        • Committees
        • State Chairs
        • National Research Advisor
      • Our Work
        • Awareness
        • Education
        • Support Services
        • Research
        • Representation
      • Support Us
        • Donate
        • Bequests
        • Fundraise
        • Volunteer
        • Friends of the Foundation
        • Sponsors and Supporters
        • Professional Friends
      • Contact Us
  • Home
  • Research
  • Research Grants Program
  • Research Grant Recipients
Back

Research

  • Research Grants Program
    • Research Grants Awarded
      • 2019 Research Grants
      • 2017 Research Grants
      • 2015 Research Grants
      • 2013 Research Grants
      • 2012 Research Grants
      • 2011 Research Grants
    • Research Grant Recipients
      • Professor Alex Brown
      • Dr Audra Shadforth
      • Dr Zhichao Wu
      • Professor Mark Gillies
      • Associate Professor Bamini Gopinath
      • Professor Robyn Guymer
      • Associate Professor Damien Harkin
      • Dr Isabelle Jalbert
      • Professor Steven Krilis
      • Dr Gerald Liew
      • Associate Professor Chi Luu
      • Professor Paul Mitchell
      • Associate Professor Alice Pébay
      • Dr Liubov Robman
    • Apply for the 2021 MDFA Research Grants Program
    • Research Grants Panel
  • Support Research
  • Latest Research
    • Research News
      • Scientists test potential drug developed in Australia to treat common causes of blindness: pre-clinical study
      • “Eye in a dish” reveals importance of gene variation for AMD
      • Implanted drug 'reservoir' safely reduces injections for people with macular degeneration
      • New study indicates regular egg consumption could reduce risk of developing age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
      • Vegetables, fruit and fish can help reduce risk of age-related macular degeneration (AMD)
      • Inability to recognise faces impairs social life: study
      • Study suggests AMD as a biomarker of frailty and ageing
      • Anti-VEGF Treatment NOT Linked to Increased Risk of Stroke, Myocardial Infarction or Death
      • Focusing on the fovea
    • MDFA Research
    • Macular Diseases
      • Macular Degeneration
        • Key Research
        • Other Research
      • Diabetic Retinopathy
      • Retina Vein Occlusion
    • Understanding Research
    • Social Impact
  • Research Updates
    • Annual Research Update
      • Archive: Annual Research Update 2017
    • Weekly Research Updates for Professionals
      • 2020 Research Updates
      • 2019 Research News
        • MD Research News – Issue 422 – 16 May 2019
        • MD Research News – Issue 423 – 24 May 2019
        • MD Research News – Issue 424 – 7 June 2019
        • MD Research News – Issue 425 – 14 June 2019
        • MD Research News – Issue 426 – 21 June 2019
        • MD Research News – Issue 427 – 27 June 2019
        • MD Research News – Issue 428 – 4 July 2019
        • MD Research News – Issue 429 – 18 July 2019
      • Archive 2018 Research News
      • Subscribe to Weekly Research Update
  • Research studies
    • Research participants needed in the Canberra region who enjoy art and have vision loss
    • Volunteer participants with age-related macular degeneration who have difficulty seeing faces require
    • Volunteer participants sought for age-related macular degeneration study
    • Retinitis pigmentosa
    • PhD opportunities in eye health
    • NSW-based carers required for research project

Associate Professor Bamini Gopinath BA (Hons), MPA FAICD

2013-14, 2015-16 Blackmores Dr Paul Beaumont Research Fellow 

Associate Professor Bamini Gopinath is the Principal Research Fellow at the Centre for Vision Research, Westmead Millennium Institute. She has a remarkable track record with over 100 research publications in the last 5 years; she is the lead author on over 50% of these.

On 11 October 2012 Macular Disease Foundation Australia awarded the Blackmores Dr Paul Beaumont Research Fellowship to  Associate Professor Bamini Gopinath for research in 2013-14.

On 10 October 2013, Associate Professor Gopinath was again awarded the Fellowship to support her research in 2015-16.

The research

Assoc. Professor Gopinath is analysing the 15-year data from the landmark Blue Mountains Eye Study (BMES) to improve knowledge of the nutritional and lifestyle risk and/or protective factors (particularly dietary antioxidant and supplement intake, diet quality and food groups). 

The research involves a detailed analysis of diet and lifestyle data currently being collected from 600 people with late stage age-related macular degeneration and will link with a major study being conducted by Professor Mitchell funded by the Macular Disease Foundation Australia.

This project offers a unique opportunity to characterise the smoking, nutritional (omega-3 fatty acids, vegetables, antioxidant supplement use), and physical activity risk-profile at both baseline and 1-year later that may predict the most severe forms of age-related macular degeneration. In addition, the study will examine lifestyle risk factors in relation to age of onset, visual acuity changes, lesion size, and first/second eye involvement.

This is expected to help explain the causes of disease, improve early detection of people at risk of progression, and facilitate new approaches to therapy. As age related macular degeneration typically progresses over 10 to 15 years or more, detailed analysis of the 15-year dataset is especially important.

The assessment will include a comprehensive analysis of changes in behaviour in people diagnosed with age related macular degeneration in the initial BMES exams, a significant gap in existing knowledge.

Assoc. Professor Gopinath also intends to pool data with other leading international studies including the Beaver Dam Eye Study and the Rotterdam Study, and conduct a meta-analysis to strengthen statistical power and help confirm key risk or protective factors.

Speaking of her research, Associate Professor Gopinath said, “A key study outcome would be more detailed understanding of lifestyle risk factors that may assist to identify and change at-risk behaviour, and help in implementing preventive strategies at a timely point in the disease course. Moreover, it will build on existing research infrastructure, and be remarkably efficient in providing quality data which could reduce the burden of age-related macular degeneration”. 

Associate Professor Gopinath works with Professor Paul Mitchell, one of the world's leading experts in macular degeneration.

About the Blackmores Dr Paul Beaumont Research Fellowship

In recognition of the extraordinary work performed by the Foundation's Founding Director, Dr Paul Beaumont, the Blackmores Dr Paul Beaumont Research Fellowship was launched in 2011. The Foundation is most grateful to Blackmores for supporting this Fellowship. The Fellowship is awarded to researchers based in eligible Australian institutions to pursue research into nutritional and/or lifestyle aspects of macular degeneration, consistent with the mission of the Foundation to reduce the incidence and impact of macular degeneration.

The 2013-2014 fellowship is provided for research into the dietary and lifestyle aspects of macular degeneration, with the purpose of reducing the incidence and/or impact of the disease in Australia. This fellowship is valued at $50,000 per year for two years; $40,000 per year of which is provided by Blackmores and the Marcus Blackmore Foundation, with the remaining $10,000 per year provided by the Macular Disease Foundation Australia's research fund. Further contributions for the research are being provided by the Westmead Millennium Institute and the National Heart Foundation.


Select Your Type?
 
 
 
  • Home
  • Macular Disease
  • Research
  • Resources
  • News & Events
  • Foundation

Contact Us

1800 111 709
[email protected]
Suite 902, Level 9, 447 Kent Street, Sydney 2000

Follow Us

acnc_logo_reverse.png


Helpline 1800 111 709

Donate

Macular Disease Foundation Australia ABN 52096255177
  • Privacy Policy
  • Site Map
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Disclaimer