Michael O’Connor, BSc(Hons), PhD, Western Sydney University
Michael is an Associate Professor in the WSU School of Medicine, and Head of the Regenerative Medicine Laboratory. His research group developed world-first methods to produce large numbers of human lens cells and light-focusing ‘micro-lenses’ from pluripotent stem cells. His group uses these human lens cells and micro-lenses to investigate mechanisms of, and potential treatments for, childhood and adult cataract.
Megan Prictor, PhD, Founding Director, Cataract Kids Australia
Megan is the Founding Director of Cataract Kids Australia, a registered charity that works for the vision of kids with cataract across Australia. Megan is a parent of a child affected by congenital cataract. She established Cataract Kids in 2017 to improve support for children with cataracts and their families, to enhance clinical care, and to build connections with research across Australia. Having experienced the significant challenges of managing contact lenses in an infant and young child, and supported many other families in this often-traumatic journey, Megan is excited about the prospect of Dr. O’Connor’s potentially game-changing research.
Antonio Carlos Lottelli, MD, MSc, PhD, Botucatu Medical School
Antonio is an Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and Head of the Cataract Sector at Botucatu Medical School, São Paulo State University, Brazil. He is highly experienced in childhood cataract surgery, including Fellowships in Pediatric Cataract at the Storm Eye Institute, Medical University of South Carolina, USA, in 2008 and 2023.
Sue Silveira, BOT, MHealthSci(Ed), PhD
Sue has a passion for improving vision outcomes for children, including childhood cataract patients. She has taught widely in the areas of paediatric eye disease, vision loss, vision surveillance and vision screening. Her research specialises in childhood vision impairment, highlighting the need to recognise the functional impact on children and their families. Sue leads the Australian Childhood Vision Impairment Register research project, and is Program Director for the Master of Disability Studies at Macquarie University, Australia.
Jeremy Crook, PhD, University of Sydney and University of Wollongong
Jeremy is Director of the Chris O`Brien Lifehouse, as well as Professor of Biomedical Innovation (University of Sydney), and Professorial Fellow of Biomedical Engineering (University of Wollongong). Jeremy’s research focuses on next-generation tissue building for advanced tissue modelling, medical device development, and regenerative medicine. His expertise includes molecular and stem cell biology, 3D bioprinting, and biomaterials science. He has been internationally recognised for research across science, engineering, and medicine – including a Health and Medical Research Frontiers Research Award, and MedTech Actuator Menzies Foundation Fellowship. He is a member of international Task Forces and Steering Committees related to regenerative medicine, including the International Society of Stem Cell Research Standards Task Force.
Eva Tomaskovic-Crook, PhD, Chris O’Brien Lifehouse and University of Wollongong
Eva is a Senior Research Scientist with the Chris O’Brien Lifehouse Hospital’s Biomedical Innovation Hub, and Senior Research Fellow at the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute at the University of Wollongong. Eva’s research combines front-line technologies in human stem cells with cell instructive bio- and electro-materials for next generation tissue building. Since completing her PhD, Eva has published 38 peer-reviewed publications with over 2,941 citations, and gained significant media interest as well as invitations to present her research at international workshops and conference.
