WORSHIPFUL COMPANY of SPECTACLE MAKERS awards SILVER MEDAL to PROFESSOR ROBERT MACLAREN

At a Court Lunch held in the historic Apothecaries’ Hall last week, the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers awarded its prestigious Silver (Fincham) Medal to Professor Robert MacLaren. Professor MacLaren is Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Oxford, Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Oxford Eye Hospital, Honorary Professor of Ophthalmology at the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, Honorary Consultant Vitreoretinal Surgeon at Moorfields Eye Hospital and an NIHR Senior Investigator. This is the 7^th Fincham medal awarded by the Company.

The citation for the medal noted Professor MacLaren’s record of research excellence, his sustained impact in increasing scientific knowledge related to retinal diseases and his efforts to reduce preventable blindness. He has contributed to considerable advancements in our understanding of the genetic mechanisms involved in inherited retinal diseases, leading to the development of novel gene therapies to treat some of these diseases and the application of novel surgical techniques including robotic surgery and artificial retinas to change lives for patients with retinal diseases.

The Medal further recognises his outstanding leadership of the work of the Clinical Ophthalmology Research Group of the Nuffield Department of Clinical Sciences at Oxford University and Professor MacLaren’s immense contribution in leading pivotal clinical trials and developing the research careers of scientists and clinician scientists from around the world.

Professor MacLaren is an outstanding clinician scientist, who has published over 350 scientific papers and has obtained over £43 million in research funding. His work has been recognised with many awards, including being voted a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He is Founder and Scientific Director of Beacon Therapeutics, and holds several patents relating to novel gene therapies. He conducted first-in-the-world gene therapies for inherited retinal diseases including choroideremia and X-linked Retinitis Pigmentosa.

WCSM awards gold, silver and bronze medals The Gold (Crook) Medal was founded in the 1980s and the Silver (Fincham) Medal in the 1990s, to recognise and reward research excellence by leaders in the field of vision science. The bronze Ruskell and Master’s Medal awards are designed to encourage publication of research by researchers up to 7 years post-doctorate. From 2025, the WCSM individual Silver Medal will be focused on mid-career researchers who can demonstrate national or international impact in the fields of education, research, innovation and/or clinical leadership.

Competitions for the bronze and individual silver medals for 2025 will open from mid-April.

Full information and application forms will be made available via the WCSM website: https://www.spectaclemakers.com/supporting-research.