Inaugural John Blake Medal for Best Laboratory Research Paper, ICO Annual Conference 2019

Pictured at the announcement of the inaugural John Blake Research Medal at the Irish College of Ophthalmologists (ICO) Annual Conference (15th-17th May 2019, Galway Bay Hotel), recipient Dr Alan Hopkins, Smurfit Institute of Genetics, Trinity College Dublin, is presented with his medal by Professor Conor Murphy, Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon, Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital and Professor of Ophthalmology (RCSI) and Dr Alison Blake, President, (ICO). The objectives of Dr Hopkins study entitled Fundas Fluorescien Angiography in Human Subjects Displays Circadian Variation was to examine the relationship between the circadian clock, retinal inner blood-retina barrier permeability and their possible role in retinal pathology. The new research paper medal is in honour of Dr John Blake (1932-2011), father of outgoing ICO President Dr Alison Blake pictured here with winner, for his tireless campaigning and lobbying of Government in the 1980's to have toughened glass banned in favour of laminate windscreens and to ensure compulsory seat belt legislation was properly enforced in order to prevent horrific eye injuries as a result of car crashes. The enforcement of these measures ultimately led to the virtual elimination of perforating eye injuries from road traffic accidents.