The British Ophthalmological Surveillance Unit (BOSU), which runs the world’s only nationwide surveillance unit for epidemiological research into rare eye conditions, is being boosted by a new grant from Fight for Sight that will enable its continuing support for UK research into rare eye disorders.
Launched today, on Rare Disease Day, the funding from eye research charity Fight for Sight of £204,375, matched by the College, will support the BOSU for the next five years.
This generous award from Fight for Sight builds on its backing of the BOSU for more than a quarter of a century with both core funding and support for research bursaries. In 2020 its funding helped facilitate the switch from paper reporting to the new integrated digital system that allows 2,450 UK ophthalmologists to contribute to the research of conditions and events with high importance to health of the public and implications for service provision or policy.
Since it started in 1997 the BOSU has facilitated 87 different completed studies, resulting in more than 90 peer reviewed publications, and 200 conference presentations. It has studied conditions including childhood blindness, ocular trauma and acute retinal necrosis leading to significant changes in practice and knowledge.
Jugnoo Rahi, chair of the BOSU, said:
The generous support of Fight for Sight will allow BOSU to continue to facilitate high quality clinician-led research that saves sight and improves clinical care. The UK ophthalmology community should be proud of the collaborative spirit that underpins BOSU.