Vicki Chrysostomou is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA), University of Melbourne, Australia. She completed her doctoral studies on retinal degenerative disease at The Australian National University, Canberra, in 2009. She then joined the CERA Glaucoma Research Unit, led by Professors Jonathan Crowston and Ian Trounce, which combines basic science and clinical work to translate glaucoma research from the cell and molecular level through to animal models and clinical trials. Dr. Chrysostomou's key research interest is understanding the role of aging in glaucoma and from this to develop new therapeutic targets. Her focus over the past 5 years has been to develop and lead a project investigating the impact of exercise on the aged retina and optic nerve, and its response to injury.
"Outside of my career as a medical scientist, I am a competitive runner, rock-climber and triathlete. My current research brings together two of my great passions in life: I am passionate about eye disease and studying preventive measures but, as an athlete, I am passionate about exercise. Personally, combining these two loves in life is exciting and wonderfully satisfying. I am sincerely grateful for the generous support of the BrightFocus Foundation and its donors, which has enabled me to undertake this research project and pursue my passions."