17th Annual Gerard Crock Lecture

From bench to bedside (and back again): Protecting and repairing the retina and optic nerve in glaucoma

Join us for the 17th Annual Crock Lecture, exploring how cutting-edge neuroscience is transforming glaucoma research and patient care.

About the lecture

Glaucoma is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to the loss of retinal ganglion cells in the eye and irreversible vision impairment. Professor Pete Williams will present new research targeting NAD metabolism for neuroprotection. NAD is a coenzyme found in all living cells, which is essential for energy production. Pete's research highlights how restoring energy levels in the eye can protect retinal cells and preserve vision.

He will discuss how this work, complemented by ongoing clinical trials and drug development, aims to enhance the resilience of neurons and support new treatments that go beyond just lowering pressure in the eye.

About Professor Pete Williams
Pete Williams will be joining CERA in January 2026 as a Research Lead, establishing the new Neuroprotection and Repair Unit. He joins us from the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, where he was the Ulla and Ingemar Dahlberg Professor in Vision Science. His new research group at CERA explores how bioenergetic insufficiency drives neurodegeneration in conditions such as glaucoma and is developing new treatments based on these findings. He is a renowned neuroscientist with research spanning from the laboratory through to clinical trials, and was the first to show the neuroprotective potential of nicotinamide in glaucoma. This has now led to multiple clinical trials across the globe to validate nicotinamide as a potential new treatment for glaucoma.

Event details

Wednesday 11 March 2026
5.30 – 7.30pm AEDT (in person)
Martin Family Auditorium, Level 4, The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, East Melbourne
Livestream: 6.15 – 7.30pm AEDT
A livestream link will be emailed the week prior to the event.

Registrations are essential for in-person or livestream attendance. If you have any issues when registering, please contact CERA via events@cera.org.au or 03 9959 0125.