Award-winning corneal research

Dr Greg Moloney has received the prestigious Troutman Corneal Prize, awarded once a year by the Cornea Society for the most innovative paper published by a young investigator.

Dr Moloney received the award for his team's investigation of a surgical technique for Fuchs endothelial dystrophy. Fuchs endothelial dystrophy is a type of corneal disease that affects 1 in 25 people over the age of 40. It tends to affect women more than men.

The treatment by Dr Moloney and his team involves targeted removal of problem areas of the eye. The surgeon strips cells from the eye’s central endothelium, a treatment which aims to reduce the need to rely on corneal transplants. A reduced need for transplants reduces the risk of organ rejection. This is much better for patients, and also helps to overcome the short supply of corneal donation. 

After treatment, the cornea often regenerates with clearer, healthy tissue. However, more work needs to happen to improve treatment success rates.

Dr Moloney is a Clinical Senior Lecturer with our Discipline of Clinical Ophthalmology and Eye Health.