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About
Dr Carla Abbott
Senior Research Fellow, Macular Research
Dr Carla Abbott runs both preclinical and clinical studies to investigate the underlying causes of and potential treatments for retinal disease.
Dr Carla Abbott
Senior Research Fellow, Macular Research
BOptom, PhD, PGDOcTher, FACO
Dr Carla Abbott is a clinician-scientist and a senior research fellow within the Macular Research Unit at CERA and the University of Melbourne.
She holds an appointment as Honorary optometrist and clinical researcher at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital and is a clinical instructor of optometry students at the Australian College of Optometry.
Dr Abbott is an expert in structure and function of the retina and optic nerve and has specific research interests in age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and inherited retinal diseases (IRDs), such as retinitis pigmentosa (RP).
She has extensive experience in preclinical models and safety and efficacy testing of treatments for retinal disease. She also has experience in clinical trials and translational projects, including the Australian bionic eye project and the International Reticular Pseudodrusen Consortium.
Dr Abbott was an integral multidisciplinary team member in both the device development preclinical team and the clinical trial team that has been successful in bringing the Australian bionic eye to two clinical trials. She was also the project manager for the International Reticular Pseudodrusen Consortium, which has resulted in data contributions from 14 international cohorts to improve understanding regarding a high-risk form of AMD.
Dr Abbott is a member of the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and is a Fellow of the Australian College of Optometry. She is interested in supervising research higher degree students, honours students, and medical students doing a research component of their course.
Key research questions
- What are the underlying causes of retinal disease?
- How can we better treat retinal disease, and ensure treatments are safe and efficacious?
Current projects
Selected publications
Key collaborators
Funding and support
Current projects
- A deep phenotyping study of reticular pseudodrusen in age-related macular degeneration – uncovering novel causes, genetic associations and potential intervention strategies for age-related macular degeneration by determining the underlying aetiology of reticular pseudodrusen in the retina.
- Electrical stimulation to improve gene therapy efficacy.
- Composition and functionality of high-density lipoprotein in age-related macular degeneration and a high-risk disease phenotype.
- Nocturnal hypoxia as a potential risk factor for age-related macular degeneration.
Selected publications
Allen PJ, Kolic M, Baglin EK, Titchener SA, Kvansakul J, Nayagam DAX, Yeoh J, Briggs RJ, Villalobos J, Williams CE, McGuinness MB, Luu CD, Petoe MA, Abbott CJ (2025) “A second-generation (44-channel) suprachoroidal retinal prosthesis: Surgical stability and safety during a 2-year clinical trial” Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology (available online).
DOI: doi.org/10.1111/ceo.14502
Chaudhary A, Abbott CJ, Wu Z, Fang W, Raj P, Naughton MT, Heriot WJ, Guymer RH (2024) “Nocturnal hypoxia and age-related macular degeneration” Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology 52:973-980.
DOI: doi.org/10.1111/ceo.14428
Abbott CJ, Allen PJ, Williams CE, Williams RA, Epp SB, Burns O, Thomas R, Harrison M, Thien PC, Saunders A, McGowan C, Sloan C, Luu CD, Nayagam DAX (2024) “Chronic electrical stimulation with a peripheral suprachoroidal retinal implant: a preclinical safety study of neuroprotective stimulation” Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology 12:1422764.
DOI: doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2024.1422764
Abbott CJ, Guymer RH (2024) “Emerging treatments for geographic atrophy and the impact on clinical management of age-related macular degeneration” Clinical and Experimental Optometry, 107(8):779-787.
DOI: doi.org/10.1080/08164622.2024.2361752
Farashi S, Abbott CJ, Ansell BRE, Wu Z, Altay L, Arnon E, Arnould L, Bagdasarova Y, Balaskas K, Chen FK, Chew E, Chowers I, Clarke S, Cukras C, Delcourt C, Delyfer MN, den Hollander AI, Fauser S, Finger RP, Gabrielle PH, Han J, Hodgson LAB, Hogg R, Holz FG, Hoyng C, Kumar H, Lad EM, Lee A, Luhmann UFO, Mauschitz MM, McKnight AJ, McLenachan S, Mishra A, Moghul I, Orozco LD, Sampson DM, Scott LW, Sitnilska V, Song S, Stockwell A, Swaroop A, Terheyden JH, Tiosano L, Tufail A, Yaspan BL, Pébay A, Fletcher EL, Guymer RH, Bahlo M (2024) “Genetic risk of reticular pseudodrusen in age-related macular degeneration: HTRA1/lncRNA B842242.1 dominates, with no evidence for complement cascade involvement” medRxiv 09.26.24314339.
DOI: doi.org/10.1101/2024.09.26.24314339
See more publications
Key collaborators
- Professor Robyn Guymer AM, CERA
- Associate Professor Chi Luu, CERA
- Associate Professor Penelope Allen, CERA
- Associate Professor Raymond Wong, CERA
- Associate Professor Zhichao Wu, CERA
- Associate Professor Guei-Sheung (Rick) Liu, CERA
- Dr Tom Edwards, CERA
- Dr Myra McGuinness, CERA
- Dr Sandy Hung, CERA
- Professor Lauren Ayton AM, CERA
- Professor Erica Fletcher, University of Melbourne
- Dr Una Greferath, University of Melbourne
- Professor Alice Pebay, University of Melbourne
- Dr Ceecee Britton-Jones, University of Melbourne
- Professor Melanie Bahlo AM, WEHI
- Dr Brendan Ansell, WEHI
Funding and support
Thank you to the following organisations for their support:
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