Mr. Beatty has been a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon for seven years, but has been involved in research into age-related macular degeneration (AMD) since 1998. Since establishing the Macular Pigment Research Group (MPRG, www.wit.ie/mprg) Mr. Beatty has secured over three million Euros in support of research for this group.

The main focus of Mr. Beatty’s research is AMD, with emphasis on exploring ways of delaying, or possibly even preventing, its onset through dietary modification and/or supplementation. Mr Beatty outlines the reasons why he has been attracted to this area of research as follows. “First, as an ophthalmic surgeon, the inability to help patients who were losing their central vision because of AMD gave rise to a feeling of helplessness, which I found very frustrating. Fortunately, however, in the recent past, new treatments have become available which do help patients with the neovascular (‘wet’) form of this disease, if detected early. Second, it is not an exaggeration to state that we are in the midst of an epidemic of AMD, primarily because we are living longer. For example, it is estimated that the number of cases of AMD will increase by 100% between 2008 and 2020. The third reason I was attracted to look at ways of delaying or preventing the onset of AMD rests on the suffering this condition inflicts upon the individual. The direct effects of losing central vision include an inability to read, recognize faces, watch television and drive. However, the indirect effects should not be underestimated, and these include loss of social independence, and such a loss of independence is becoming more important in a world where traditional family support structures are weakening.”

“Over the last few years, many important research findings have been published, and we are now in a position to identify people at increased risk of developing AMD in later life. Given that we are living longer, it would seem sensible to take full advantage of these new findings in an attempt to reduce the risk of ultimately developing this potentially blinding disease.”

Beyond his interests in this growing area of research, Mr. Beatty has a keen interest in the Irish language, and enjoys middle-distance running.

Mr. Stephen Beatty L.R.C.P.I., L.R.C.S.I., M.B., B.Ch., B.A.O.(N.U.I.), M.M.Sc., F.R.C.Ophth, E.B.O.D., M.D.

Current post: Consultant ophthalmic surgeon with a special interest in vitreo-retinal surgery, Waterford Regional Hospital Whitfield Clinic, and Associate Lecturer at the Waterford Institute of Technology.

Irish Medical Council Number: 14580

Specialist Register- Division of Ophthalmic Surgery-Cert. No. 516400

Research Interests
I am Director of the Macular Pigment Research Group (MPRG) in the Waterford Institute of Technology. In brief, the aim of the MPRG (www.wit.ie/mprg) is to explore the potential of appropriate dietary modification and/or supplementation in an attempt to delay, prevent or retard age-related macular degeneration.

I have secured > €3,000,000.00 funding in support of my research, and sources of funding include the Wellcome Trust, the Health Research Board, Fighting Blindness, Enterprise Ireland, amongst others.

Peer-reviewed Publications
Of > 80 peer-reviewed publications, the five most recent are:

Diet and risk factors for age-related maculopathy O’Connell E, Stack J, Nolan J, Beatty S. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2008;87:712-722.

Spatial Profile of Macular Pigment and its Relationship to Foveal Architecture; Nolan JM, Stringham J, Beatty S, Snodderly DM; Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 2008 May;49(5):2134-242.

Psychophysical function in age-related maculopathy Neelam K, Nolan J, Chakravarthy U, Beatty S. Survey of Ophthalmology (in press)

The transport and retinal capture of lutein and zeaxanthin with respect to age-related maculopathy Loane E, Kavanagh H, O’Donovan O, Bernstein P, Neelam K, Beatty S. Survey of Ophthalmology 2008;53:68-81.

Macular pigment and age-related macular degeneration: longitudinal data and better measurement techniques are needed Beatty S, van Kuijk FM, Chakravarthy, U. Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science 2008;49:843-845.

Books
Nutrition and the Eye: A Practical Approach.
Eperjesi F and Beatty S (Eds.); ISBN: 0750688165
2006; ELSEVIER BUTTERWORTH HEINEMANN, Oxford, UK.

Invited Speaker Engagements
I have been the recipient of an invitation to speak on the subject of my research at 13 conferences, including the Spanish Ophthalmological Society, the Foundation A. de Rothschild, the German Ophthalmological Society, the Hungarian Society of Ophthalmology, the Russian Ophthalmological Society, the International Symposium on Ocular Pharmacology and Therapeutics, amongst others.

Teaching and Education
I am responsible for undergraduate teaching of ophthalmology at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, and supervise PhD students involved in ophthalmic research. I also sit on the Board of Governors of Waterford Institute of Technology.