Professor Michel Michaelides

Professor Michel Michaelides is a consultant ophthalmologist at Moorfields Eye Hospital, specialising in medical retina, inherited retinal disease, and paediatric ophthalmology. As a Professor at UCL’s Institute of Ophthalmology, he leads pioneering research into gene therapy and retinal imaging, with over 500 publications and 30,000 citations. His clinical expertise spans rare genetic eye conditions such as Stargardt disease and retinitis pigmentosa, offering patients access to cutting-edge diagnostics and emerging treatments. Widely regarded as one of the UK’s leading retina specialists, Professor Michaelides combines academic leadership with a reputation for precision and diagnostic clarity.

Qualifications / Professional memberships

• Fellow Royal College of Ophthalmologists, London
• Fellow American College of Surgeons
• Member American Academy of Ophthalmology
• Member Association for Research in Vision & Ophthalmology
• Member European Society of Retina Specialists
• Member European Paediatric Ophthalmological Society
• Elected Member of the Macula Society
• Elected Member of the Retina Society

Current NHS / University Post

• Professor of Ophthalmology, UCL Institute of Ophthalmology (2014)
• Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (2010)

Medical training

• King’s College Hospital
• Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London

Research interest / experience

• New treatments for retinal disease including diabetic retinopathy and genetic eye diseases such Retinitis Pigmentosa and Stargardt disease

• Optimising the clinical care of patients with retinal disease

• Establishing a molecular genetic diagnosis in the majority of patients with inherited eye disease, helping to improve counselling, advice on prognosis, identify patients with molecularly proven disease who may be eligible for current and future treatments

• Identify patients/genetic subtypes and time-points, which may be most appropriate for treatments, and identify reliable and sensitive outcome measures

• Assisting in the development of gene and stem cell-directed therapies to either significantly slow/halt disease progression or ideally improve visual function

• Medical Retina Fellowship, Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

• Ocular Genetics and Paediatric Ophthalmology Clinical and Research Fellowships, Casey Eye Institute, Oregon, USA

• Doctor of Medicine research degree in Inherited Retinal Disease, University College London

• Foundation Fighting Blindness (USA) Career Development Award (2011) - first time award made to a clinician-scientist in the UK

• International Guest Scholar, American College of Surgeons (2010) - first time award made to an Ophthalmologist from the UK

• Department of Health/HEFCE "New Blood" Senior Lectureship Award (2010)

• Developing novel structural and functional retinal measurements including modelling of the "Hill-of-Vision" and Adaptive Optics imaging

Languages spoken

• English
• Greek