Gift of Sight campaign wins Optician accolade

Professor Andrew Lotery's mission to find a cure for age-related macular degeneration (AMD) began during his training to be an ophthalmologist at the Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast.

After taking time out to do a research degree in genetics, Lotery travelled to the University of Iowa in 1998 - home to 'one of the best centres for studying macular degeneration'. Through molecular genetic research Lotery and his colleagues identified the first gene linked to AMD.

'The gene Fibulin 5 is responsible for 1 to 2 per cent of macular degeneration but when you think that there are around 25 million people with the disease in the world, this means hundreds of thousands of people can benefit,' says Lotery.