CERA

Keratoconus International Consortium

Become a KIC member

Researchers and corneal specialists who are able to collect and contribute keratoconus data are welcome to join the consortium.

Consortium objectives

  1. To collect and share de-identified clinical and other risk factor data on each individual research participant with keratoconus.
  2. To undertake a unified analysis to enable better diagnosis of individuals at early risk of disease, thereby commencing treatment and avoiding potential graft surgery.
  3. To facilitate the process of writing papers and grant proposals and submitting new paper proposals and ancillary studies by the consortium members.
  4. Consortium members will also have the opportunity to evaluate and take part in any new opportunities that come through the KIC.

KIC areas of research

Members of the KIC may wish to collaborate on projects aimed at:

  • determining the cause of keratoconus or its progression
  • preventing keratoconus or its progression
  • developing new therapies for corneal disease
  • identifying how the outcomes of corneal transplantation can be improved.

Data collection

The KIC utilises a standardised data collection instrument to combine data from multiple patient cohorts from different centres. This provides a large dataset, allowing sufficient statistical power for analyses.

KIC members share de-identified clinical and risk factor data as well as tissue samples. The member’s own data will remain the property of that member and the responsible institution with a reasonable expectation of sharing of the KIC-generated data within the consortium for the purpose of the unified analysis.

Benefits of being a member

The KIC aims to establish the world’s leading consortium for the disease.

The main strength of KIC is that it is led by its members, where all members have an equal opportunity to contribute to the data and lead individual projects of interest.

The KIC is therefore a powerful tool for groups to study many aspects of keratoconus, allowing for collaboration and validation of their findings.

Membership eligibility

Researchers and corneal specialists who are able to collect and contribute keratoconus data are able to join the consortium.

Contact and membership requests

For further information about the KIC or to become a member, please contact:

Dr Srujana Sahebjada

KIC Project Manager, CERA

Email: srujana.sahebjada@unimelb.edu.au

Phone: +61 3 9929 8951