Cataract Research Award 2025
Congratulations to Dr. Xiangjia Zhu (Fudan University) on receiving the 2025 Cataract Research Award from the National Foundation for Eye Research.
The Cataract Research Award was introduced by NFER in 1999 to recognise emerging scientists who have made significant contributions to lens and cataract research and show promise of developing into international leaders in the field.
Dr. Zhu is a clinical scientist whose research focuses on high-myopia-related cataracts and refractive cataract surgery. Her work includes elucidating the pathological mechanisms underlying myopia-associated lens changes and cataract formation, as well as improving intraocular lens implantation techniques in complex surgical cases.
By integrating clinical and molecular ophthalmology, Dr. Zhu has published numerous impactful studies that advance our understanding of how refractive state, lens biology, and surgical outcomes are interconnected.
We are honored to recognize Dr. Zhu’s achievements and look forward at International Conference on the Lens (ICL 2025) in Kona, Hawai‘i.
Julie is a biomedical scientist, and her work focuses on understanding the development of age-related eye diseases with a particular focus on the lens and lens cataract. Projects involve investigating the interplay between reactive oxygen species and antioxidants to determine whether endogenous antioxidant defence systems in the lens can be harnessed to elevate antioxidant levels in the lens and delay cataract formation.