Stephanie Watson

Biography

   Stephanie is a clinician researcher and innovator. She is head of the Ocular Repair Group at the Save Sight Institute and an NHMRC Career Development Fellow. As head of the Ocular Repair Group she leads a research program focused on innovative solutions to restore sight and promote ocular health. She led her team to first prize in the Best Health Innovation Product Idea. IDE group in 2016. In 2015, she was awarded first prize for the Medical Device Commercialisation Training Program, ATP Innovations and the NSW Office for Health and Medical Research. Organisations that have funded her research include the NHMRC, Ophthalmic Research Institute of Australia, Australian Stem Cell Centre, University of Sydney, University of New South Wales, Keratoconus Australia, Sydney Eye Hospital Foundation, and Fight for Sight UK. She has published 115 articles in high-ranked peer reviewed journals and book chapters, and holds international patents. Stephanie has given over 125 presentations at national and international meetings. Stephanie is known for her ground-breaking research in corneal therapies. She has been a Pride of Australia award nominee, an UNSW Early stage innovation award finalist and received a commendation from the Vice Chancellor of the University of New South Wales. She received the Gustav Nossal Medical and Dental Post-graduate Research NHMRC scholarship; this is awarded to the highest ranked applicant. She has also received awards from Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists (RANZCO), Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society, and was awarded the ‘Les is more’ grand final award, episode winner and people’s choice award on The New Inventors, ABC Television, for developing a stem cell therapy.

Research Interest

 Clin Prof Watson leads a research program focused on innovative solutions for ocular repair and regeneration.