Centre for Vision and Vascular Science

Professor Alan Stitt, Director CVVS

The Centre for Vision and Vascular Science (CVVS) at Queen's University Belfast is one of the four Research Centres within the School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences (MDBMS).  Our Centre is recognised as a coherent, collaborative centre of excellence that enjoys an established international reputation in vision and microvascular research niches.

Within a strategic framework, CVVS will seek to enhance the international reputation that Queen’s already has in ophthalmic research, especially in the areas of retinal angiogenesis, diabetic retinopathy, age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and genetics.  We are building on this foundation to develop complementary world-class vascular research, to include diabetic microvasculopathy and cardiovascular remodelling.

Our three research divisions are “Clinical & Experimental Ophthalmology”, “Diabetic Vascular Complications” and “Cardiovascular Remodelling”.  The research objectives of these divisions and the entire Centre are:

1. To develop a multidisciplinary and integrated clinic and laboratory-based research programme in vision science and microvascular biology with well-considered quality thresholds for membership.
2. To promote productive collaborative networks within the Centre/School and also with national and international partners.
3. Establish multidisciplinary, self-sustaining programmes of research that promote individual and group success that have international recognition.
4. To translate basic and clinical research discoveries into demonstrable and testable improvements in patient care in the Northern Ireland Hospital Trusts, and beyond.
5. To train future clinical and scientific research leaders in vision and microvascular science.
6. To promote the generation of scientific knowledge in key ophthalmic and microvascular diseases and share that knowledge with researchers, clinicians and the public through educational activities, training programmes and publications.
7. To encourage commercialisation of research and develop strategic partnerships with biotech and pharmaceutical industrial collaborators.