Research Grants Assessment Panel 

Members of the Research Grants Assessment Panel (RGAP) have a broad range of research and clinical expertise – they assess funding applications, make recommendations to the Social Impact and Scientific Research (SISR) Committee and provide feedback to help shape and improve our processes.

The Core RGAP

The Core RGAP is made up of the Chair, Vice Chair and up to eleven other independent experts. In addition to reviewing grant applications, the Core group attend RGAP meetings to discuss the larger applications.

Professor Jessica Teeling (Chair) 

Professor of Experimental Neuroimmunology, Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton

Professor Simon Clark (Vice Chair)

Helmut Ecker Endowed Professor in AMD, Institute for Ophthalmic Research, University of Tubingen, Germany

Associate Professor Denize Atan

Associate Professor in Neuro-ophthalmology, Neuroscience and Genetics, University of Bristol

Professor Sarah Coupland

George Holt Char in Pathology, Honorary Consultant Histopathologist, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool

Professor Gabriela Czanner

Professor in Digital Health, School of Engineering and Computer Science, and Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton

Associate Professor Lisa Hill

Associate Professor in Translational Neuroscience, University of Birmingham

Dr Pirro Hysi

Reader, School Academic Lead, School of Life Course and Population Sciences, King’s College London

Dr Roly Megaw

Clinical Lecturer and Honorary Consultant Ophthalmologist, University of Edinburgh 

Professor Jugnoo Rahi

Professor of Ophthalmic Epidemiology, UCL GOS Institute of Child Health, London

Professor Reinier Schlingemann

Professor of Ophthalmology, Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Dr James Whiteford

Reader in Extracellular Matrix Biology, Director of Graduate Studies, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, University of London

Professor Jan Wijnholds

Professor of Ophthalmology, Department of Neuromedical Genetics, Leiden University Medical Centre, Netherlands

Associate Professor Pete Williams

Senior Lecturer in Neurobiology, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Karolinska Institute, Sweden

The College of Experts RGAP

The College of Experts RGAP is made of up to fifteen members with specific expertise in a broad range of conditions and methods. These members may be co-opted to RGAP meetings to balance numbers and provide expertise.

Dr Mark Ahearne

Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical, Manufacturing & Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Professor Paul Artes

Professor of Optometry, School of Health Professions, University of Plymouth

Dr Sarah Atkinson

Senior Lecturer, School of Biomedical Sciences, Ulster University

Professor Brendan Barrett

Professor of Visual Development, School of Optometry and Vision Science, University of Bradford, Bradford

Dr Gerrit Hilgen

Associate Professor, Department of Applied Sciences, Northumbria University

Professor Luminita Paraoan

Professor of Molecular Cell Biology, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Metropolitan University

Dr Mapa Prabhath Piyasena

Deputy Director of the Vision and Eye Research Institute, Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care, Anglia Ruskin University

Dr Xinhua Shu

Reader in Biomedical/Vision Sciences, Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow