Keryn Williams

Last updated

Professor
Keryn Williams
AC FAHMS
Personal details
Born
Keryn Anne Williams

(1949-09-05) 5 September 1949 (age 75)

Keryn Anne Williams is an Australian medical scientist who works in the field of ophthalmology. She was a Principal Research Fellow in the School of Medicine at Flinders University. Her research interests include clinical and experimental corneal transplantation, ocular inflammation, ocular immunology and eye banking. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Contents

Early life and education

Williams was born 5 September 1949. She graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Science with first class honours in 1971. [3] In 1974, she completed her doctoral thesis, Immunochemical studies of human cell surface antigens, [3] [6] and flew to Britain on the day she submitted it. In England, she worked as a researcher at the University of Oxford with the Australian surgeon Peter Morris. Morris recommended her to his acquaintance Doug Coster, the first professor of ophthalmology at Flinders University, who hired her to work there as a research fellow in 1981. [7] She retired in 2016 but has maintained several fellowships and memberships with various organisations. [8]

Honours and achievements

Williams has had several notable achievements throughout her career.

She founded the Australian Corneal Graft Registry (ACGR) in 1985 and is currently the scientific director of the registry. [9]

The registry is a database that collects information on human corneal transplants from Australian-based eye banks to improve patient outcomes and clinical practice. [10] The ACGR has collated information from more than 35,000 corneal graft procedures since its inception. [11] The registry has been used as a model in several other countries when initiating their own corneal registeries, and the extensive data being used in comparative studies globally. [11]

The report released by the ACGR in 2018 outlines a newer form of keratoplasty, known as Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty which can reduce the occurrence of graft failure and reduce the timeframe to restoring vision outcomes. [11]

Williams has provided expert commentary in the past on ophthalmological advances internationally, particularly on research suggesting that transplants may require gender separation, stating that "In Australia, we do not see—have never seen—an influence of gender matching or mismatching on corneal graft outcome,” [12] indicating that this finding could be contributed to by the methodology used in the United Kingdom to match donors and patients. [12]

In 2017, Williams was appointed a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for "eminent service to medical science in the field of ophthalmology through the research and development of corneal transplantation, as an academic and mentor, and as a supporter of young women scientists". [2]

Williams is currently an honorary Senior Principal Research Fellow with the South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute, an Elected Fellow with the Australian Academy Health & Medical Sciences since 2016, [13] an Honorary Fellow with the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists, and an Honorary Life Membership of the Transplantation Society of Australia and New Zealand. [8]

Other achievements include:

Publications and patents

Williams has 168 publications between 1977 and 2019. [8] Her research focuses on gene therapy of donor corneas to self produce proteins that assist in reducing transplant rejection in animal models. She is also involved in anti-rejection drug development focusing on delivery of the genetically modified antibodies via eyedrops or a porous silicon biomaterial.

Selected publications include:

A comprehensive list of her work can be found at:

Williams has also filed for several patents, a full list can be found at:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Keratoconus</span> Medical condition involving the eye

Keratoconus (KC) is a disorder of the eye that results in progressive thinning of the cornea. This may result in blurry vision, double vision, nearsightedness, irregular astigmatism, and light sensitivity leading to poor quality-of-life. Usually both eyes are affected. In more severe cases a scarring or a circle may be seen within the cornea.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pterygium (eye)</span> Pinkish, triangular tissue growth on the cornea of the eye

A pterygium of the eye is a pinkish, roughly triangular tissue growth of the conjunctiva onto the cornea of the eye. It typically starts on the cornea near the nose. It may slowly grow but rarely grows so large that it covers the pupil and impairs vision. Often both eyes are involved.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corneal endothelium</span> Single layer of endothelial cells on the surface of the cornea

The corneal endothelium is a single layer of endothelial cells on the inner surface of the cornea. It faces the chamber formed between the cornea and the iris.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corneal transplantation</span> Surgical procedure of repairing corneal tissue to treat corneal blindness

Corneal transplantation, also known as corneal grafting, is a surgical procedure where a damaged or diseased cornea is replaced by donated corneal tissue. When the entire cornea is replaced it is known as penetrating keratoplasty and when only part of the cornea is replaced it is known as lamellar keratoplasty. Keratoplasty simply means surgery to the cornea. The graft is taken from a recently deceased individual with no known diseases or other factors that may affect the chance of survival of the donated tissue or the health of the recipient.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuchs' dystrophy</span> Medical condition

Fuchs dystrophy, also referred to as Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) and Fuchs endothelial dystrophy (FED), is a slowly progressing corneal dystrophy that usually affects both eyes and is slightly more common in women than in men. Although early signs of Fuchs dystrophy are sometimes seen in people in their 30s and 40s, the disease rarely affects vision until people reach their 50s and 60s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eduard Zirm</span> Austrian ophthalmologist

Eduard Konrad Zirm was an Austrian ophthalmologist who performed the first successful human full-thickness corneal transplant on 7 December 1905.

Eye banks recover, prepare and deliver donated eyes for cornea transplants and research. The first successful cornea transplant was performed in 1905 and the first eye bank was founded in 1944. Currently, in the United States, eye banks provide tissue for over 80,000 cornea transplants each year to treat conditions such as keratoconus and corneal scarring. In some cases, the white of the eye (sclera) is used to surgically repair recipient eyes. Unlike other organs and tissues, corneas are in adequate supply for transplants in the United States, and excess tissue is exported internationally, where there are shortages in many countries, due to greater demand and a less-developed eye banking infrastructure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corneal neovascularization</span> Medical condition

Corneal neovascularization (CNV) is the in-growth of new blood vessels from the pericorneal plexus into avascular corneal tissue as a result of oxygen deprivation. Maintaining avascularity of the corneal stroma is an important aspect of healthy corneal physiology as it is required for corneal transparency and optimal vision. A decrease in corneal transparency causes visual acuity deterioration. Corneal tissue is avascular in nature and the presence of vascularization, which can be deep or superficial, is always pathologically related.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pellucid marginal degeneration</span> Degenerative corneal condition

Pellucid marginal degeneration (PMD) is a degenerative corneal condition, often confused with keratoconus. It typically presents with painless vision loss affecting both eyes. Rarely, it may cause acute vision loss with severe pain due to perforation of the cornea. It is typically characterized by a clear, bilateral thinning (ectasia) in the inferior and peripheral region of the cornea, although some cases affect only one eye. The cause of the disease remains unclear.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ramón Castroviejo</span>

Ramón Castroviejo Briones (1904–1987) was a Spanish and American eye surgeon remembered for his achievements in corneal transplantation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Macular corneal dystrophy</span> Medical condition

Macular corneal dystrophy, also known as Fehr corneal dystrophy, is a rare pathological condition affecting the stroma of cornea first described by Arthur Groenouw in 1890. Signs are usually noticed in the first decade of life and progress afterwards, with opacities developing in the cornea and attacks of pain. This gradual opacification leads to visual impairment often requiring keratoplasty in the later decades of life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston keratoprosthesis</span> Prosthetic cornea

Boston keratoprosthesis is a collar button design keratoprosthesis or artificial cornea. It is composed of a front plate with a stem, which houses the optical portion of the device, a back plate and a titanium locking c-ring. It is available in type I and type II formats. The type I design is used much more frequently than the type II which is reserved for severe end stage dry eye conditions and is similar to the type I except it has a 2 mm anterior nub designed to penetrate through a tarsorrhaphy. The type I format will be discussed here as it is more commonly used.

A Khodadoust line or chronic focal transplant reaction is a medical sign that indicates a complication of corneal graft surgery on the eye. This method is called Khodadoust line because of many years research about this by Professor Ali Asghar Khodadoust. This medical condition is similar to organ rejection after an organ transplant, except that it involves immunological rejection of a transplanted cornea rather than an internal organ.

Dua's layer, according to a 2013 paper by Harminder Singh Dua's group at the University of Nottingham, is a layer of the cornea that had not been detected previously. It is hypothetically 15 micrometres thick, the fourth caudal layer, and located between the corneal stroma and Descemet's membrane. Despite its thinness, the layer is very strong and impervious to air. It is strong enough to withstand up to 2 bars of pressure. While some scientists welcomed the announcement, other scientists cautioned that time was needed for other researchers to confirm the discovery and its significance. Others have met the claim "with incredulity".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reza Dana</span> American ophthalmologist and immunologist

Reza Dana is the Claes H. Dohlman Professor of Ophthalmology, senior scientist and W. Clement Stone Clinical Research Scholar at Massachusetts Eye and Ear, Harvard Medical School, and director of the Harvard-Vision Clinical Scientist Development Program.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi</span> Iranian combat engineer (born 1959)

Seyed Hassan Ghazizadeh Hashemi is an ophthalmologist and full professor at Tehran University of Medical Sciences, as well as the head and founder of the Noor Ophthalmology Complex.

Pre Descemet's endothelial keratoplasty (PDEK) is a kind of endothelial keratoplasty, where the pre descemet's layer (PDL) along with descemet's membrane (DM) and endothelium is transplanted. Conventionally in a corneal transplantation, doctors use a whole cornea or parts of the five layers of the cornea to perform correction surgeries. In May 2013, Dr Harminder Dua discovered a sixth layer between the stroma and the descemet membrane which was named after him as the Dua's layer. In the PDEK technique, doctors take the innermost two layers of the cornea, along with the Dua's layer and graft it in the patient's eye.

The Legacy Devers Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon, is one of the few private, non-profit centers for ophthalmological care, research, and training in the United States. The institute is affiliated with Legacy Health, a network of seven hospitals in Portland and Southwest Washington. Legacy Devers includes the Thelma and Gilbert Schnitzer Comprehensive Glaucoma Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corneal button</span> Replacement cormea for transplantation

A corneal button is a replacement cornea to be transplanted in the place of a damaged, diseased or opacified cornea, normally approximately 8.5–9.0mm in diameter. It is used in a corneal transplantation procedure whereby the whole, or part, of a cornea is replaced. The donor tissue can now be held for days to even weeks of the donor's death and is normally a small, rounded shape. The main use of the corneal button is during procedures where the entirety of the cornea needs to be replaced, also known as penetrating keratoplasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corneal opacity</span> Medical condition

Corneal opacification is a term used when the human cornea loses its transparency. The term corneal opacity is used particularly for the loss of transparency of cornea due to scarring. Transparency of the cornea is dependent on the uniform diameter and the regular spacing and arrangement of the collagen fibrils within the stroma. Alterations in the spacing of collagen fibrils in a variety of conditions including corneal edema, scars, and macular corneal dystrophy is clinically manifested as corneal opacity. The term corneal blindness is commonly used to describe blindness due to corneal opacity.

References

  1. ↑ "Family Notices". The Canberra Times . Vol. 24, no. 6, 999. Australian Capital Territory, Australia. 13 September 1949. p. 4. Retrieved 30 January 2017– via National Library of Australia.
  2. 1 2 3 "Companion (AC) in the General Division of the Order of Australia" (PDF). Australia Day 2017 Honours List. Governor-General of Australia. 26 January 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 January 2017. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Professor Keryn Williams". www.flinders.edu.au. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  4. ↑ "Keryn Williams". www.flinders.edu.au. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  5. ↑ "Flinders experts join national health and medical sciences academy". Flinders News. 7 October 2016. Retrieved 26 January 2017.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. ↑ Williams, Keryn Anne (1974). "Immunochemical studies of human cell surface antigens". Ph.D. Thesis. School of Microbiology, University of Melbourne. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  7. ↑ Crouch, Brad (26 January 2017). "Recognition for gift of sight". The Advertiser. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 "Keryn Williams". SAHMRI. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  9. ↑ Swannell, Cate (20 February 2017). "Nation's top honour for cornea researcher". Medical Journal of Australia. 206 (3). ISSN   0025-729X.
  10. ↑ "Corneal graft survival research and registry". Flinders University. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  11. 1 2 3 "Australian Corneal Graft Registry 10-Year Findings to Inform Future - mivision". 9 July 2018. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  12. 1 2 Weintraub, Karen. "She Has His Eyes--Does Gender Matter in Cornea Transplants?". Scientific American. Retrieved 7 April 2022.
  13. ↑ "2016 AAHMS New Fellows" (PDF). Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences Limited. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
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