A cycle of innovation
Stories
A cycle of innovation
CERA Honorary Principal Investigator Peter Larsen transforms breakthroughs in the lab into better eye care for patients.
Impactful research requires as much work outside the lab as it does within—a principle that guides CERA Honorary Principal Investigator Peter Larsen. Motivated by the immense potential a laboratory breakthrough has to improve people’s lives, Larsen’s mission is to bridge the gap between discovery and real-world application.
“Developing a drug, a device, or an algorithm is one thing,” he says. “But getting that breakthrough into the hands of patients to truly improve eye health is at the heart of CERA’s mission.”
Over his career, Larsen has played a key role in organisations with far-reaching influence—from his leadership in bringing Specsavers to Australia, driving a data strategy at a leading eye care technology company Topcon, to his current endeavour of establishing Optometrist Warehouse within the Chemist Warehouse group. These experiences have shown him just how vital commercialisation can be in maximising the impact of scientific research.
“For scientists in the lab, the commercial side can be unfamiliar,” he acknowledges. “But without it, new treatments often never reach the people who need them most.”
Finding better ways to deliver these life-changing discoveries continues to drive Larsen’s work at CERA.
Powering Oculo
Among Larsen’s notable achievements is the creation of Oculo—CERA’s first spinout company.
It arose from a pressing need to improve communication across eye care.
“We saw that optometrists and ophthalmologists weren’t communicating as effectively as they could,” he explains.
“Referrals arrived in different formats—email, fax—and there was no centralised way to ensure consistent collaboration.”
Recognising the difference streamlined communication could make for patients, Larsen and then CERA Managing Director Professor Jonathan Crowston took inspiration from the UK’s National Health Service. Together with Dr. Kate Taylor as CEO, they founded Oculo. From its spinout in 2015 until its sale in 2021, the platform was adopted by seven out of 10 eye care providers in Australia and New Zealand.
By digitalising clinical communications across Specsavers’ national network with Oculo, Larsen was able to capture a vast repository of standardised patient data. This enabled the development of clinical benchmarks, improvement in referrals, and ensure more consistent care for patients across the board.
Underpinning National Programs
The data-driven insights and common infrastructure from Oculo laid the groundwork for significant healthcare breakthroughs.
They supported the national KeepSight diabetes reminder program, ensuring that more people with diabetes received timely eye checks.
Beyond that, insights enabled a global first approach to introducing OCT scanners into over 3.5 million annual eye examinations within Specsavers.
Rather than simply driving professional fees, this initiative directly targeted a measurable gap in glaucoma diagnostic rates.
By integrating OCT scanning into routine eye tests, Larsen and his team sought to significantly reduce false-positive referrals and address the troubling reality that half of all glaucoma cases remain undiagnosed.
Boosting Outcomes
In 2021, Oculo was sold to Finnish company Revenio, and the proceeds provided a significant boost to CERA’s Innovation Fund—an internal, competitive fund designed to give researchers the early financial support they need to propel promising ideas beyond the concept stage.
For Larsen, helping other scientists navigate the transition from the lab to the marketplace is deeply gratifying: “Having seen the enormous potential of research to transform lives, I’m thrilled to assist in funding future breakthroughs—and to guide researchers along the commercial path so their work can make a tangible difference.”
By continuously investing in research and refining pathways to commercialisation, Larsen believes the eye health sector can keep evolving for the better.
“If we maintain this cycle of innovation—discovery, commercialisation, and reinvestment—we can truly make a difference in people’s lives.”
