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Presentation 1: A perfect circle: Use of extracellular vesicles in the treatment of retinal degeneration 

Speaker: Associate Professor Riccardo Natoli is the Associate Director of Research Development for the School of Medicine and Psychology and the Head of Clear Vision Research at The John Curtin School of Medical Research. He has spent the last 20 years understanding the molecular basis of retinal degenerations, with a focus on developing novel therapeutics for the treatment of Age-Related Macular Degeneration, a disease that will affect 1 in 7 individuals over the age of 50 in Australia. He currently has multiple NHMRC Ideas Grants, a BridgeTech REDI Fellowship, a CRC-P with VivaZome and numerous commercial and national grants. He is a founding member of the Shine Dalgarno Centre for RNA innovation (SDCRI) a major strategic endeavour of transform to build RNA capability across the ANU. He has built Clear Vision Research labs with a focus on developing the next generation of researchers.  He is dedicated in supporting students, early and mid-career researchers as highlighted by his nomination for the VCs award for Excellence in Supervision (2023). He currently holds multiple patent positions and is developing a spin-out to commercialise his groups current IP.   

Abstract: Retinal degenerations are a group of neurodegenerative diseases that afflict millions and causing irreversible blindness. By 2040, Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), the number one cause of blindness in the western world, is projected to affect a staggering 280 million people worldwide. The major challenge of delivering safe and effective therapeutics to the retina is complex due to its immune-privileged nature and the risk of further damage from immune activation. Our group is pioneering the use of extracellular vesicles (EVs) for the treatment of retinal degenerations, and harnessing their molecular cargo, including microRNA (miRNA). Our findings show that EV isolated from various sources, including mesenchymal stem cells and red blood cells, have different abilities to deliver therapeutic payloads. Specifically, we have demonstrated that red blood cell EV delivered via intraocular injection offer significant protection against retinal degeneration and have the potential to enhance RNA therapy delivery. Overall, EV-based treatments offer a promising avenue for safe and effective therapies for retinal degeneration. While further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms, optimize therapeutic potential and cell targeting, our findings provide compelling evidence that EV are a viable option for the development of new therapies to the retina especially for the currently incurable AMD. 

Presentation 2: Emotion and expression regulation 

Speaker: Dr Amy Dawel is a cognitive and clinical psychologist, Senior Lecturer, and Director of the ANU Emotions and Faces Lab in the ANU School of Medicine and Psychology. Dr Dawel’s research aims to understand how people experience, express, and perceive emotions—especially in faces. Her lab uses behavioural and physiological methods to study individual differences in these abilities and their relationships with mental and physical health and wellbeing.

Abstract: My research program on emotion and expression regulation aims to understand the complex interplay between emotion, its regulation, and the resulting outcomes, in order to improve human health and well-being. This research program started as a strategic adaptation to the 2020 pandemic, when lockdowns disrupted my lab-based face perception program in cognitive psychology. Here, I talk about the trajectory and key findings of this research program so far, and my aims for developing it further in the context of our SMP psychology-medicine integration, seeking opportunities for collaboration.