Usher syndrome research group announced as finalist for the Research Australia Awards

UsherKids Australia, The University of Melbourne and the Centre for Eye Research Australia have been selected as a group finalist for the 2026 Research Australia Health and Medical Research Awards, in the category ‘Advocacy & Philanthropy’.

The Research Australia Awards, held annually since 2003, represent the pinnacle of recognition within Australia's health and medical research community, bringing together leading researchers, funders, policymakers, and advocates for a formal Gala Dinner in August.

The research nominated was originally funded through a Melbourne Disability Institute community grant to UsherKids Australia, and the program has quickly grown to include many research studies, papers and contributing to a new ICD-10 code for the rare genetic condition Usher syndrome (the leading cause of deaf-blindness in young people).

The School have been intricately involved in this multidisciplinary program, with leadership from Karyn Galvin and Kelley Graydon (audiology), Lauren Ayton and Fleur O’Hare (optometry), Rachel Toovey and Free Coulston (physiotherapy), Ruth Braden (speech pathology) and Lyndal Hickey (social work) amongst many others. Congratulations to the team and the broader Usher syndrome community on this recognition!