Dr Mengliang Wu awarded McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellowship to explore the immune system of the eye

A Defining Moment in a Scientific Career

For Dr Wu, receiving the Fellowship marks a defining step in his scientific career.

“It is a great honour to receive the McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellowship,” he says.

“It provides an invaluable opportunity to establish an independent research trajectory and build a strong foundation for a future academic career.”

“The Fellowship allows me to deepen my expertise in ocular immunology, develop new experimental approaches, and strengthen collaborations across clinical and basic research teams.”

Investigating the Eye’s Immune System

Dr Wu’s project focuses on a fascinating and largely unexplored area of eye biology - how the immune system functions within the cornea, the eye’s clear outer layer.

“My research investigates how specialised immune cells called T cells develop in the cornea and their roles in maintaining tissue homeostasis,” he explains.

“By uncovering the fundamental mechanisms of corneal T cell formation and function, we hope to open new directions in ocular immunology and, in the long term, contribute to the development of novel strategies to modulate ocular immunity.”

Bridging Fundamental and Translational Science

The McKenzie Fellowship will enable Dr Wu to pursue a new research direction that connects fundamental immunology with translational vision science – a hallmark of DOVS’ interdisciplinary approach.

“I’m most excited about the opportunity to establish a new research direction in ocular immunology and to work at the interface of basic science and translational discovery,” he said.

“Ultimately, I want to bridge fundamental mechanisms with real-world impact, improving our understanding of immune processes that protect vision.”

About the McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellowship

The McKenzie Postdoctoral Fellowships Scheme are among the University’s most competitive early career awards, designed to attract and support outstanding researchers poised to become future leaders in their fields. Dr Wu’s success highlights the Department’s growing strength in vision science and ocular health research, and its commitment to advancing discoveries that improve eye health for all.

Congratulations, Mengliang!